This Is What Family Looks Like
by Puck's Angel
Summary: Puck's always wanted a father...how will he handle being one?
1. Chapter 1

A.N. - Hey everyone! I'm taking a break from fandom for a bit, but I just couldn't let writing fanfic go. It's the only part that doesn't disappoint me because things always end the way that I want them to. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed/favorited my last story. If you like what you read, leave me a review! They really do make my day. Not sure how long this one is going to be, but you won't have to wait forever for updates I can promise you that.

Disclaimer: If I did own Glee, I'd make Puck the leading man and rename it Fast Times at Puckleberry High. LOL, enjoy!

* * *

Noah Puckerman never envisioned his life would turn out like this. Fourteen years ago he said goodbye to his daughter. It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. His own father never bothered to say goodbye to him, and he always swore to himself that when he became a father, he would be nothing like his dad.

His father leaving had such a huge impact on him. His mom seemed so sad and empty after he left, always going on and on about how selfish his dad was and that he left because he didn't want to be tied down by a family anymore. She would rant on and on about how he was probably with a new girl every night living it up and drinking away any money he may have earned instead of supporting the two kids he left behind.

Noah tried his best to fill his father's shoes at home, but he thought that if he became more like him, then maybe his dad would be so proud of him and come home, or better yet, he'd take him on adventures in New York City. Noah wreaked havoc at school and even adopted the nickname Puck because it sounded more badass than Noah. He began chasing after girls because he remembered what his mother said about his dad being with a new girl every night. It wasn't long before Puck got his reputation as a sex shark. He never wanted a girlfriend because girlfriends just tied you down and if he wanted to be like his dad, he had to keep moving.

His life completely changed when he was sixteen and Beth made her entrance into the world. Quinn allowed him to be in the delivery room during her birth and he remembered the nurse handing her to him and looking down into her eyes. She was so precious and so innocent and in that instance his heart truly broke for the first time in his life. He wanted so much to prove to the world and to Beth that he was better than his father by being there for her whenever she needed him, but he also knew that he loved her enough to realize that he was only sixteen years old and that the kind of life that she deserved was one that he could not give her, so he reluctantly agreed to put her up for adoption.

The rest of high school was a blur for him. He made a promise to himself that he would not waste the opportunity he was given. He gave up his daughter to give her a better life and to give himself a shot at having a future outside of Lima. He had to do better for himself and get out of this cow town otherwise he would have given his daughter up for nothing. Shelby had offered to send pictures of Beth to both Quinn and Noah, but Quinn refused. The only way that she could deal with the situation was to move forward and never look back. Noah had taken Shelby up on her offer and every year without fail he would get a letter from Shelby giving him updates about Beth and a picture. He kept all the pictures in an album in his desk, but would keep the most current picture in his wallet so that it was with him at all times.

He buckled down the last two years of high school and with the help of people like Artie and Rachel, he was able to get good enough grades to get into a school outside of Lima. His passion and raw talent for music earned him a scholarship to a really good music school out in Los Angeles. This was his shot to get out and make something of himself so he jumped at the opportunity. His ties to Ohio were through his mom and sister, who he did his best to support both emotionally and financially, and through his letters from Shelby about Beth.

In addition to going to school, he was able make some pretty decent money by being a back-up and studio musician, and he also loved teaching so he gave private lessons. He wanted to set a good example for his sister and show her that life is bigger than Lima and give her something to strive for. He would also send as much money as he could to Shelby for Beth. He knew he didn't have to, but he fought Shelby on this matter because he wanted to do something for Beth, even if she didn't know it.

Five years ago, his life changed forever. Shelby had always been consistent, sending a letter and a picture at the same time every year, but that year it hadn't come. He thought maybe she was just busy, but a month went by and he still hadn't received anything, so he decided to call. Beth answered the phone and for the first time in his life, he heard her voice. He was choked up and struggled to find the strength to speak, but he finally found the courage to ask for her mom. Shelby came on the phone and was shocked that it was him and then told him the news that turned his life completely upside down.

"Puck, I have stage 4 breast cancer. All the treatments I've tried have stopped working and I just want the rest of my days to be the best they can be, not ruined because of the treatment. I only have about 2 months left."

Noah could feel his heart tighten in his chest. "What's going to happen to Beth?"

"That's why I'm so glad you called. You're the only one I would dream of leaving her with. Will you come?"

They talked about a few more details and then he made some phone calls to explain the situation. Luckily, his job was flexible so it was no problem for him to take a few months off. His mind was still reeling from the news. He always figured that Beth would hold a special place in his heart, but that she would always be out of reach for him to be any kind of father to her. Now, he was getting a second chance to do right by her, but it tore his heart out that this opportunity had come to him in this way. Would she accept who he was? Could he really do this? Where would they live? There were so many questions running through his mind and he was getting overwhelmed. He just shut his eyes and took a deep breath, praying for the wisdom and strength to get through this.

His plane landed and he was met at the airport by his mom and his sister. They were the first people he called after he talked to Shelby. They had known how much giving up Beth had impacted him and they were worried about how he was going to handle all of this. He was their rock, the one person who was always there for them. A part of them loved that he was finally getting a chance to prove his worth as a father, but like him they hated how it was happening. There was no winner or loser in this situation and the one person they were most concerned about was Beth. They made sure that he knew that he had their full support as they headed over to Shelby's to drop him off.

The agreement that they had come to was that Noah would move in for the rest of the time that Shelby had left. Beth was aware that she was adopted and knew that her biological parents were just too young to raise a child and that's why she was given up for adoption. She had never known the identities of her biological parents and was unaware of the fact that she also had an older sister.

Noah and Shelby agreed that they would just be upfront with Beth about any questions she had. Beth knew that Shelby was sick, but she had no idea about the gravity of her illness. They decided to break the news of her illness to her first, then tell her who Noah was and what his new role in her life would be after she got over the initial shock.

Noah got to the door and rang the bell, and was taken aback by the fact that Beth had answered the door. He dreamed about this moment many times over the years and he thought that he'd be prepared for it, but his heart took him completely by surprise. She was even more beautiful than her pictures. He knew that she had his eyes, but looking into them now he was still full of awe. There was no question that she was his. His heart knew it the second he held her in the delivery room and he felt exactly the same way at this moment as he did nine years ago, the first and last time that he ever held her. He wanted to drop his bags and take her into his arms and never let go, but he had restrain himself. He introduced himself as a friend of her mother's and told her that he was there for a visit.

Beth let him in and led him to her mother's room, telling him that she was in bed a lot lately because she hasn't been feeling well. He knocked and heard Shelby answer to come in. He went in and saw her sitting on her bed, reading.

Tears filled Shelby's eyes and she didn't have the strength to get up so he came and sat on the bed next her. He pulled her into a hug and told her that everything was going to be all right. After they gathered their composure, they talked for a while and discussed their plans to break the news to Beth when she made an appearance at the door.

"Are you and my dad done talking now? It's dinner time and I'm hungry."

Noah was speechless and Shelby was completely flustered. "Honey, how did you know who he is?"

"Well, it didn't take much to put two and two together. He has the same eyes as me and I could tell by the way he looked at me when I answered the door."

Shelby turned to Noah. "She's always been very astute." She turned to Beth and smiled. "Too smart for her own good is what I always call it."

Noah went up to Beth and crouched down so that he could look into her eyes. "Well, miss smarty pants, we had hoped to tell you ourselves but since you've spoiled our plans, is there anything you want to say or ask me?"

"I have plenty of questions, but I'm pretty sure we'll have more than enough time later. Right now, I'd really like to know what we're ordering for dinner."

Noah was amused at her sense of humor and amazed at her poise in the situation. "Sure kiddo let's go figure out what we're going to eat, but first do you think you could do me a small favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

It seemed kind of silly and simple, but it was something that he desperately needed at the moment. "Can I have a hug?"

She looked into his eyes and was more than happy to indulge him. She put her arms around his neck and he picked her up holding on very tightly. He was strong and warm and made her feel safe. She could get used to this.


	2. Chapter 2

A.N. - An update for your fic appetites. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed/alerted this story.

ZuxyQ, this one's for you. When I started writing this, I didn't even know it was something you had wanted for a long time. I just hope it lives up to the story you had in mind.

* * *

Noah and Shelby spent the next week navigating the uncharted waters of their situation. Shelby wanted to give Noah and Beth some time to get used to the idea of being in each others' lives, so she held off telling Beth about her illness and prognosis. Genetics was absolutely amazing because Noah and Beth were so much alike. She got Quinn's brilliance and looks, but her eyes and hair, her sense about people, and her precociousness were all Noah. She knew that deciding to leave Beth with him was the right move.

A week after Noah arrived, they decided that it was time to tell Beth everything. They sat down with her and Noah let Shelby take the lead and decided that he was just going to be there for them. Beth didn't seem surprised that Shelby was sick. Her intuition had told her as much, but she seemed to be in a daze about the idea of losing her mother. She was a very level-headed and well-adjusted kid that it was hard to tell how things were affecting her. She seemed to be on auto-pilot and was saying everything that they wanted to hear which had Noah worried. Just before going to bed that night, he stopped in her room to check on her.

"Hey kiddo, how are you really?"

"I don't know. Part of me wants to be sad, but I'm pretty sure that would just make mom sadder."

"It's okay to be sad. If you feel like crying, then you should cry. If you're mad then you should tell someone about it. It's not good to keep these kinds of things inside. I was angry a lot when I was younger, and I ended up doing a lot of bad things. My dad left when I was about your age and I didn't really have anyone to talk to, so I held all that anger in. I don't want you to go through the same things that I had to, I want better for you. Just know that I'm here if you need anything. You can tell me anything and I promise that I won't think it's stupid or that you're wrong."

Tears started to spill over and Noah pulled her into a hug. "Thanks." She pulled back to look up at him. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Well, your mom asked me to come out here and get to know you because she wants me to take care of you after she's gone. What do you think about that? No one is going to force you to do something you don't want to, but I would love a chance to be a real father to you."

"Well, my mom told me that you gave me to her because you weren't ready to raise a child. How do you know you're ready now?"

He knew that this question would come up. He had a tried a hundred different times to come up with the best answer he could, but it still didn't sound right so he decided to just speak from the heart. "Before I met you, my answer would have been that I've finally grown up and matured and I've made enough money to support you. The second you opened that door my heart was full. I haven't been unhappy in my life, but seeing you now I realize that I didn't know what it was to truly be happy. You're the missing piece of my heart and now that I've met you, I don't ever want to let you go."

It was exactly what she needed to hear. "I feel the same way too." They hugged again and he kissed her on the forehead and tucked her into bed.

Shelby stood outside the door listening to every word. She had been terrified that she wouldn't have the courage to face this last month of her life without breaking down, but she now felt peace in her heart and decided to enjoy every second she had left with Beth instead of worrying about how things were going to be in the future.

Shelby's last month was all that she could have ever hoped for. On the days that she was feeling well, she and Beth would do fun things and they would talk about anything and everything. On the days that she wasn't feeling well, Noah and Beth would spend time together, bonding and getting to know each other better. It turns out Beth inherited her musical talent from both her parents. She and Noah would work on musical numbers and perform them for Shelby, bringing a smile to her face on the days when everything seemed so bleak.

After the funeral, Noah stayed with Beth in Shelby's house so that she wouldn't have to endure the stress of having to move while she was still mourning the loss of her mother. Noah's mom and sister came to help them through this tough time. After two weeks of going through the motions, the two of them sat down at the breakfast table to talk about the future.

Noah couldn't avoid the subject any longer. His mom was urging him to take her out to California with him, where she could get a fresh start. "Beth, I wanted to talk to you about the future. You know that I live and work in California. I was wondering how you feel about moving out there with me? I really think that it would be good for you to be in a new place…you could have a fresh start."

A part of her wanted to stay there forever. This house was the link to her mom. She wasn't sure if she was ready to give all of it up just yet. This place also reminded her of the fact that her mom wasn't coming back. Ever since the funeral, she seemed to be waiting for her mom to come home, only to be disappointed when reality set back in. "Well, as long as we're here I keep expecting her to be the one to wake me up in the morning, like she would be waking me up from a bad dream. I know she's not coming back, but it's hard to not feel that way here in this house." She paused to take a breath. "Do you think I'll like California?"

"It's a very different place than here, but I think you'll like it. It's a lot warmer over there, and we'd be close to the beach and Disneyland."

She was so excited about living near Disneyland. Her mom had always promised that they would go, but they never got around to it. Noah was trying so hard to make this all better for her, and she was so thankful to have him. "You had me at Disneyland…I just want to be where you are, and your life is in California."

Noah breathed a huge sigh of relief. "All right, our first decision as a family. My mom and sister are going to help us pack up the house. We can take whatever you want to keep and then we'll figure out what to do with the rest. Your mom owned this house so we could have stayed here if you wanted, but since we've decided to go to California, we'll sell the house and put the money into an account for college and your future."

"What are we going to do in the meantime for money?"

"Well, I'm not exactly a deadbeat like my dad was. I got a scholarship to college so I don't have any loans to pay off. I help out my mom and sister and I used to send your mom money for you every year. I also was able to put money away in a savings account, so we'll be just fine. You're too young to be worried about these kinds of things. The biggest thing you should be worried about at this age is what your new school will be like or what you're going to wear on the first day of school."

It took them another two weeks to get everything sorted out with the house. They packed up everything that was to be shipped out to California and made arrangements to meet up with the movers in a week. They spent that extra week staying at the Puckerman house, so Beth could get to know her grandmother and aunt. It was a really good experience for all of them and even though they were sad to part at the end of the week, they were excited for the new start that their family was getting.

The move out to LA went off without a hitch. Beth was just so excited about being in a new place and Noah had a fun time showing her around the city. Mike Chang also lived out there so he would join them on some days. He was a dancer and choreographer in Hollywood and got to work with some of the biggest names in the business. His current project was working with Disney and he took Beth to the set with him one day so that she could meet some of the stars since she was such a huge fan. Uncle Mike was fast becoming one of her favorite people.

The summer ended and it was time for Noah to go back to work and Beth to start at her new school. Noah had done some rearranging of things during his time off and was able to get a job in with an advertising agency. He loved working in the studio with the musicians, but he really wanted to be there for Beth before she went to school and when she got back and the job with the ad agency allowed him that. He still gave private lessons on the weekends sometimes to earn a little bit extra, but most of his free time was reserved for Beth.

They fell into a pattern and even though he used to hate routine, he didn't regret a single moment of it. There were a few rough times over the next couple of years, but there were also some really great moments. He remembered the very first time she ever called him Daddy. She had caught a really bad strain of the stomach flu and spent the whole night running to the bathroom. Every time that she got up, Noah would be there and it got to the point where it was just easier for him to stay in her room with her. At around 3 o'clock that morning, he was cradling her in his arms rocking her and stroking her forehead to calm her down so that she could go back to sleep. He was singing to her because he knew that she loved to hear him sing and just before she fell into her slumber she looked up at him, yawned and said, "Thank you for taking good care of me Daddy." It felt so good to hear those words and he hoped that it wasn't just the illness talking. After that night, he was forever known as Daddy. He didn't want to force her to call him Dad, but it finally felt like he was earning his dad stripes.


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. - Okay, so I'm getting a lot of questions about when Rachel is coming into the story. She's coming, I promise. This is the chapter that originally inspired this story. I was watching the movie, Definitely Maybe last week and I so wanted to see Noah do something similar with Beth. The first two chapters were written as a way to set that up. I wanted to make sure that there was a plausible reason that he'd have this kind of interaction with her, so thank you for bearing with me through those first two chapters.

As for why Rachel wasn't told about Shelby's illness and why she wasn't at the funeral, all will be revealed in a future chapter. I don't want to spoil you ahead of time. I definitely did not overlook that detail, I swear. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

When she was thirteen years old, Beth started to wonder about her biological mother. Shelby was adamant about keeping the identities of her birth parents a secret, but Beth still had so many questions. She got to see what traits and features she inherited from her dad, and she longed to find out about the whole other half that she had no clue about. She knew that at this time, her dad was twenty-nine, which meant that he was sixteen when she was born and still in high school. She was willing to bet that it was whoever his high school girlfriend was so she devised a plan of finding out without him figuring out what she was doing.

They had made an agreement before they moved out to LA that they would always be honest with each other about things and that there was nothing that she couldn't ask him. There was an exception to this rule though. Shelby made it clear to Noah before she died that answers to questions about Quinn were to remain vague or unanswered. This was mostly because Quinn rejected Shelby's offer of the yearly picture and letter updates and she didn't want Beth to go looking for a mother who clearly did not want to be found.

Friday nights were father/daughter time in the Puckerman house. Noah would cook whatever Beth requested and she would pick a movie for them to watch. Since she was now thirteen she had graduated from Disney to PG-13 movies and chose to watch "13 Going on 30." Noah chuckled at the title and asked if she was trying to tell him something, but was then surprised that he liked the movie. He sometimes wished that he could have gotten a glimpse into his future and gotten a do-over, just like Jennifer Garner's character in the movie. It's not that he wished that Beth was never born, but at times he just felt bad that life wasn't the ideal picture that he wanted for her.

"Daddy, what did you think of the movie?"

"I actually liked it. I don't normally give these chick flicks a second look at the video store, but this one wasn't as annoying or boring as other ones I've been made to sit through."

Her dad was so tough and masculine that she couldn't imagine anyone having the power to make him sit through a movie that he didn't want to or like. "Who could make you sit through a movie you didn't want to?"

"You'd be surprised what a high school boy would do to spend time with the girl that he likes."

"What were you like in high school? You barely ever talk about that time in your life."

"High school was a crazy time for me. I'm not proud of a lot of the things I did early on in high school. I played sports and was popular, but I was a really big jerk. I used to throw people in dumpsters and throw slushies on them. All of that changed when I joined glee. Suddenly, I became one of those people I made fun of and did horrible things to."

"Why did you join glee then?"

"This is one of those things I talked about when I said you'd be surprised what a high school boy would do to spend time with the girl that he likes."

Now she was getting somewhere. "So you joined because of a girl?"

He wasn't exactly comfortable talking about this with his daughter. "Yes, I joined because of a girl. Remember what I said about not being such a nice guy? Well, joining glee was the only way I could guarantee I would spend time with her because she had a boyfriend at the time."

"You went after a girl who had a boyfriend? Weren't there other girls you could have gone after? Girls who were available?"

"Sure there were. In fact, your dad was pretty popular with the ladies, but there's something about wanting someone that you can't have."

Beth knew that getting him to talk about this was going to be hard. Obviously he wasn't always the noble guy that he is now otherwise he probably wouldn't have had to give her up. She was on a quest to find out about her mother, so she was just going to have to take the good with the bad. "How many girlfriends did you have back then?"

"If you're talking about significant relationships, I would say there were only three."

"Will you tell me about them?"

Noah thought very carefully before answering this question. He wanted to be honest with his daughter, but he had to make sure that he honored Shelby's wishes and not give away anything about Quinn being her mother. After the funeral, he had contacted Quinn and brought her up to speed with the situation and what was going to happen to their daughter. She was sad about everything and thanked Noah for stepping up and doing right by their daughter, but she was happy with her life and preferred to keep the past in the past and remain anonymous. Beth also didn't know that Rachel was her sister and Noah wasn't ready to bring that up just yet. "Okay, but I want to be clear that some of the details will be slightly changed because there are a few things that are still inappropriate for someone your age to hear. I will answer things as honestly as I can though."

So it was going to be a bit of a mystery. Beth just knew that her biological mother would be one of the three significant relationships that he was talking about. She was going to have to get as much information as she could from her dad, and then see if she could figure it out from there. "I just want to hear more about it. I love a good love story."

"Well I hate to disappoint you, but these love stories that you want to hear are no fairy tale. Otherwise, I'd probably be married to one of these girls."

"All right dad, I understand."

"I'd have to start with Santana. She and I were a lot alike. I was a jock and she was a Cheerio, that's what the cheerleaders were called in my school. We had a lot of fun and being with her was always exciting and intense. We both loved being part of the popular crowd and whenever we were together we were considered a power couple."

"What do you mean whenever you were together?"

"The thing about being with someone that is so similar to you is that when things are good, they're exciting and passionate, but when things are bad they can border on catastrophic. Santana and I were your classic on and off couple. We were together as long as it was good, but it seemed like every other week we would hit a wall and then spend time apart. Looking back, we never really defined our relationship. We were together, but we weren't exactly exclusive. She would date other guys and I would date other girls, but somehow it was understood that we were sort of together."

"That sounds so complicated. How did you keep track of where you were?"

"We didn't, that was the funny thing. I never really cared that she dated other guys, but she would get jealous when I dated certain other girls and would stake her claim on me whenever she felt like it. It actually got to be quite annoying at some point, but there was one time that she actually did break up with me. It was because my credit score wasn't high enough."

"She sounds pretty shallow. What happened after she officially broke up with you?"

"Let's just say that I became a free agent. I won't give you details, but I dated girls that I didn't go to school with for a while because I didn't want to have to deal with the drama on a daily basis, but even that got old after a while. School started up again after summer break and a girl named Quinn caught my attention. She was gorgeous and smart. She was a Cheerio too…head Cheerio actually. Unfortunately for me, she had a boyfriend."

"Is this the girl that you joined glee for?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to be near her. It was a pretty sticky situation because her boyfriend was also my best friend and quarterback of the football team and he was also in glee. She joined glee because she was afraid that he was starting to fall for the lead girl in glee and she wanted to keep an eye on them and keep their relationship intact."

"This is starting to get juicy. It sounds like a soap opera."

"As cliché as it is, it really was like a soap opera. It was like a love square. I was pretty selfish back then and would take any attention I could get from Quinn. One day she was pretty down and jealous that her boyfriend Finn was spending so much time with Rachel, who was the lead in glee, and she ended up coming to me for comfort. I'm not proud of this, but she ended up cheating on her boyfriend with me, his best friend. We both felt bad about it and agreed not to talk about it again."

"Wait, so you cheated?" The disappointment was apparent on her face.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I knew going into this that you might end up disappointed in me. I think that we should probably save the rest of this for a time when you're ready to handle it."

She didn't want to lose her chance at finding out more about her mother. "You did warn me that I probably would be disappointed. I don't want to stop though. I want to hear more about what happened next."

Noah thought it over before he started again. "I had to forget about Quinn. She made it clear that it was a mistake and that she didn't want to revisit it again, so I focused my efforts elsewhere. My mom had this tradition where we would watch 'Schindler's List' so that she could feel closer to her Jewish roots, and she would make me and my sister watch with her. This particular year she got all emotional and asked me why I didn't date Jewish girls. That night I had a dream about one Jewish girl in particular…Rachel Berry." He had a nostalgic look in his eyes as he recalled that dream.

"Is this the same Rachel that was the lead in glee? The same Rachel that Finn was interested in and that Quinn was jealous of?"

"Yup, the very same girl…I told you this was complicated. And here's another wrinkle in the story. Rachel was one of my favorite targets of the slushie attacks."

Beth's jaw practically dropped to the floor. She got up and went to her backpack to look for a notebook. She opened it up and started writing. "All these details are pretty hard to keep up with. I have to start taking notes so I don't get confused."

Noah laughed. "You're telling me, kid. Try keeping up with all of this while it's happening." He waited for her to write down all her notes and then continued. "Rachel and I were only together for a week, but it was a week that changed my life. We were working on mashups in glee, which is basically taking two great songs and putting them together to make one awesome song. I wanted to spend time with her because of the dream I had and brought her a slushie as a peace offering. It was grape, her favorite flavor. I asked her to work with me on glee stuff and even missed football practice to do it. Anyone who knew me knew how big a deal it was for me to miss football practice. We ended up making out in her bedroom, but she was still hung up on Finn so she stopped before it went further and told me that she couldn't be with somebody who wasn't brave enough to sing a solo."

Beth was furiously trying to keep up with her note taking, so he paused for a bit while she caught up. "Rachel and Quinn must be very special if both you and Finn were after them. I want to know more about Rachel though, because she spent time with you even though you used to throw slushies on her."

"Here's something you have to know about Rachel before we go any further. She's probably the most ambitious and talented person that I know. She had big dreams of becoming a star on Broadway and in Hollywood. She was always pushing us to be better than we were but she wasn't always gentle in her criticism, so people didn't really respond to her very well. People always gave her a hard time and they couldn't seem to get past that part of her personality. She was just driven and wanted to be the best and wanted others around her to be the best that they could be too. I understood that about her, and she knew that I wasn't just an arrogant bully jock. We both sort of had these shells and presented ourselves as hard on the outside, but I think that was to protect our vulnerabilities."

"Why would you two need to protect yourselves?"

"Well, you know that my dad left home when I was young and it left me very angry. I had a hard time getting close to people because I was always afraid they would leave me like my dad did. It was easier to just keep people at a safe distance so they couldn't hurt me."

"And Rachel was like this too?"

"She was the only one who really understood that part of me. She grew up with two gay dads. Her mother came into her life when she was about sixteen and Rachel wanted to have a close relationship with her mom, but her mother ended up breaking her heart by rejecting her." He felt horrible because eventually she would find out that it was Shelby that broke Rachel's heart, but he figured that he had plenty of time before he would have to deal with that.

Beth felt so sad for her dad and for Rachel even though she had never met her. In a way she felt bonded to both of them because they had all lost parents. "Sounds like you and Rachel had a lot in common. It's too bad that it didn't work out. What happened between you two? Please tell me she didn't really break up with you just because you wouldn't sing a solo."

"Oh that wasn't the reason we broke up. I did sing her a solo and she changed her mind about ending our relationship. I even took a slushie hit from one of the other football players and apologized to her for all the times I ever did it to her. Getting slushied was humiliating and I can't believe that I did it to her repeatedly and she didn't lose it or hate me. Come to think of it, she never should have trusted me at all. Anyways, our football coach was jealous of Mr. Schuester, our glee club coach and he made us choose between glee and football."

"That really sucks. What did you do?"

"After getting hit with the slushie, I decided to choose football because I never wanted to be humiliated again. I told Rachel about it fully expecting her to unload on me, but she surprised me and told me that she understood. If all the football players who were also in glee had chosen to stay on the team, then glee wouldn't have had enough members for competitions. I just couldn't believe that she supported my decision even though it would mean the end of glee. It was that show of friendship that made me realize that what I had in glee was way more special and worth holding onto than a bunch of guys who I would never talk to again after high school. I knew your Uncle Mike because of football and other sports, but we got closer and became best friends through glee. Rachel and I ended up breaking up because of her feelings for Finn and she knew I still had feelings for Quinn even though I tried very hard to hide it."

"It's too bad that it didn't work out with Rachel. It seemed as though you two had something really special. So that's it? You didn't date anyone else for the rest of high school?"

"Finn and Quinn eventually broke up because he found out about Quinn cheating on him with me and I lost his friendship as well. Quinn turned to me because she had no other choice, but I was still not interested in being tied down so I dated Santana on and off as well as a few other girls in high school. Rachel dated a guy from a rival glee club, who I really hated and then ended up dating Finn for a while, but that didn't work either because he lied to her about a relationship with Santana. She turned to me for comfort and revenge and Finn found out about it, so he officially broke it off with her. After that, she realized that being independent and focused on her future was the best way to make sure she achieved her dreams of being on Broadway. I decided to buckle down and work harder in school so I could get out and make a better life for myself. Rachel was a great friend to me and tutored me in classes. We parted ways after graduation and have lost touch over the years."

Beth noticed that he seemed a million miles away when he talked about how he and Rachel lost touch. She could see how special Rachel was to him. Beth had a ton of information to sort through to try and figure out who her mother was. "Thank you for telling me this story Dad. I know it wasn't easy for you. Even though you were a bully, a jerk, and a cheater…I love you even more tonight than I did yesterday. You've really turned your life around and are the best dad I could have ever asked for."

Tears were threatening to spill over and Noah couldn't believe how mature his daughter was. He was afraid that telling her about the parts of himself that he'd rather forget would change her view of him and make her like him less, but again being too smart for her own good helped her to see past all that and look at the big picture. "You've always been the best thing to ever happen to me. Your birth and giving you up made me want to be a better man, someone you would be proud to call dad. I'm so glad that I'm finally doing right by you." He tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight.

Beth lay in her bed thinking about how to figure out who her mother was.


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. - Okay, I'm really sorry you had to wait so long for this update. Real life has been kicking me in the ass and writing had to take a backseat. Beth's journey to find her mother takes some huge steps in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The next morning, Beth got up very early and went over all the notes she took the previous night. It was a bit dizzying to hear the story all at once last night and she got swept up in it rather than honing in on the details that might give the identity of her mother away. After hearing about the three girls that her dad had dated, she still had no idea who her mother was.

Santana seemed like the kind of person that you could have a lot of fun with and who would be in your corner no matter what, but was she her mother? It's definitely possible. It sounded like she dated around a lot, but she also seemed like she and her dad definitely had moments where they weren't always careful and she knew that it only took one time.

Quinn seemed like she was the queen of their high school. She was gorgeous, popular and smart. It seemed like everyone either really liked her or wanted to be her. Who wouldn't want her as a mother?

Rachel was the one that really stuck out in Beth's mind. She could tell that Rachel had made an indelible impression on her dad. When he was telling her the story, she felt that he had definite ends with Santana and Quinn, but that there was unfinished business with Rachel. Was their unfinished business the baby that they gave away? Or maybe he had a definite end with Quinn and Santana because they gave their baby away and there was nothing else holding them together. The story had given her insight into her dad and showed her how much he's changed, but it did nothing to really help her find out who her mother was. She decided to use her big brain and work a different angle. She picked up her phone and called the only person that she knew could help.

Mike was just getting back from his morning workout when his phone rang. He thought it odd that Beth would be calling this early and immediately he thought that something may be wrong. "Good morning Beth. Is everything okay? You don't usually call me this early."

Beth looked at her clock and understood why he might think that something was wrong. "I'm sorry Uncle Mike. I didn't mean to alarm you. Everything's just fine. Dad's still sleeping. I think he's giving some lessons later today and all my homework is finished for the weekend, so I was wondering if you were free today and would want to hang out with me."

Mike could sense that something was up. He loved hanging out with Beth and they always had fun, but it was usually him that initiated their outings. Her eagerness in this matter had him intrigued so he went along with it. "Sure thing. You're my favorite sidekick. What do you say we go and get some brunch at our favorite place on the beach and then figure out what do from there?"

"Yay! I love Geoffrey's. It's been a long time since we've been there and I'm drooling over their Challah French Toast."

They talked for a few more minutes and Beth started to get ready. She told her dad what she was doing for the day and he was surprised, but loved that she and Mike got on so well. Plus, he liked that he didn't have to worry about her being in good hands. Mike was his best friend and practically his brother. He was also pretty much the only one who was there for him throughout Quinn's pregnancy and the aftermath of giving her away. He loved Beth as if she was his own and Noah knew that he would protect her with his life.

They got to the restaurant right when it opened and since Mike knew the chef, they had no problems getting a table and they didn't even have to put in an order. The waiters and cooks knew what they liked and how they liked it. As they sat at their favorite table outside on the beach, he could see Beth lost in her thoughts, staring out at the waves of the ocean. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Uncle Mike, do you know who my mother is?"

He nearly spit his drink out. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know, I guess I've been wondering about it for a while now. My mom was always tight lipped about who my birth parents were. The only reason I met Dad was because she got sick. She always told me growing up that she knew my dad loved me, but gave me up to have a better life, but she would never mention my mother. I figured out that she must have been one of his high school girlfriends so I got him to tell me about them last night. The thing is, I thought that I would be able to figure out who she was from the story, but I just can't. I really want to know about her, but I know I won't get anywhere talking to Dad about it. I know you went to high school with them so you must know."

He felt so bad for her. He wanted so much to grant her request, but Noah had told him about Quinn's desire to remain anonymous. He did, however, believe that she had a right to know who her mother was. He had to be careful about how he proceeded from here on out. "Wow. I'm not going to lie to you. I know who she is, but I also know that it's not my place to tell you. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I want to respect people's wishes in the matter. That being said…if you were to figure things out for yourself then it's not like I would be breaking any confidences. I will help you in any way I can, but I just can't come out and tell you who she is."

Beth was slightly disappointed. It would be so much easier if he would just tell her, but she admired his desire to not break his promises to his friends. "Well, I have it narrowed down to Santana, Quinn, or Rachel." She made a point to look at his facial expression as she said each name to see if he would give anything away, but his poker face was too good. "I have this notebook of all the details from the story dad told me yesterday." She reached into her bag and pulled it out and showed him everything.

He chuckled at her organized notes and charts that she had made. "Well, that pretty much sums your dad's high school dating experience. What can I do to help you out?"

"If only I knew what they looked like. Maybe I could figure it out from looking at their pictures…wait a minute! Do you have a yearbook I could look at?"

He was absolutely floored by her logic and thought process. She was brilliant like Quinn and resourceful just like Puck. It was a very formidable combination and he was glad that he was on her side. "Unfortunately, I left all that stuff behind with my parents in Ohio. I think that your dad did too. High school was a rough time for him. When he left, he wanted a clean start."

"Hmm…I was hoping you were going to make this easier on me. Do you know what happened to each of them?"

"Santana ended up going to college out here too and majored in public relations. She actually works here in California and has quite a few Hollywood clients. Quinn went off to college too, but ended up moving back to Ohio to be with Finn. They got married and have three or four kids now and she's a stay at home mom. Rachel was always destined for Broadway and that's where she is now. She moved to New York right after graduation and has been headlining shows there ever since."

"Are you still in touch with all of them?"

"I talk to Santana pretty regularly and we still get together for lunch or dinner once a month. I haven't talked to Quinn since her wedding to Finn seven years ago and I make it a point to text Rachel every once in a while just to see how she's doing. I know she's very busy and famous now, but she always makes a point of answering my texts so at least I know she hasn't forgotten where she came from."

"There was something about the way my dad talked about Rachel. What did you think about their relationship when they were in high school?"

"Rachel and Puck are two of the most talented, passionate, and misunderstood people you'll ever meet in your life. They've had tough childhoods and have had to endure so many things that most people wouldn't even dream of dealing with. They're both very careful about who they let get close to them and tend to use their big personalities to keep people at arm's length. He used to bully her and she used to annoy him. Everything about them on paper said that they were incompatible, but when they were together they brought out the best in each other. There was one time when the football team was forced to join the glee club for a week in order to build team unity with the football players that were already in glee and Puck and Rachel sang a duet to show the football players what it was all about. Let me tell you that it was magic when they sang together. For the three and a half minutes that they sang for us, all felt right in the world. The school even had a nickname for the two of them…Puckleberry. It's such a shame that bad timing always seemed to be the enemy of that relationship. They ended up being such great friends though."

More than ever she wanted Rachel to be her mother. She had to be sure about it though. "Would you be willing to arrange for me to meet Santana? I think that I'll know when I meet her if she's my mother or not."

"I don't know about that Beth. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing this behind your dad's back."

"Well, why don't we all get together then? It'll be like a reunion for the three of you and I'll get the confirmation I need on whether or not she's my mom." She could see that he was still unsure about the idea. "Please Uncle Mike? Just pitch the idea to Dad."

She was looking at him with those puppy dog eyes that she had perfected over the years. "You are so lucky that I love you like you were my own daughter. I'll see what I can do to convince your dad."

The very next weekend, Beth was preparing to meet Santana. It didn't take much for Mike to convince Puck to have Santana over. Puck had no idea that Beth was trying to figure out who her mother was, and it had been years since they had all gotten together, so he agreed pretty quickly. It was springtime and the weather in Southern California was beautiful, so they decided to have a cookout at Mike's house on the beach. It was a nice way to unwind on a Sunday before going back to work and school.

Mike and Puck were outside getting the grill ready and having some beers when the doorbell rang. Beth was inside so she was the one who answered. She opened the door and saw a stunning woman standing in front of her. She was very well dressed and had on a very big pair of sunglasses that seemed to be popular with women and she was barking orders into her Bluetooth. As soon as she realized that Beth had opened the door, she quickly ended her call.

"Bill, I'm going to have deal with this later. I'll be out of touch for the rest of the day."

Santana couldn't believe her eyes. She was brought back to high school and the time when all the drama surrounding Quinn's pregnancy wreaked havoc on the glee club. Ever since Quinn got pregnant by Puck, her relationship with him was never the same. He had lost a part of his heart when he was forced to give her up, and here she was, looking so much like him. She admired him for stepping up and doing right by her and showing the world that he was finally a man and a father. Mike had caught her up on the whole situation and it was precisely why she agreed to come and meet Beth. She agreed with Mike that she had a right to know who her mother was, and she also didn't want to be the one to spill the secret. She had talked to Quinn a couple of times in the last few years and it was pretty evident that she had no interest at all in looking back.

Mike and Puck came in from outside and they all exchanged hugs and Santana and Beth were formally introduced. They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up. Santana hadn't changed much from high school. She was still loud and outspoken, and loved ribbing the boys and embarrassing them with stories about their awkward days in high school, although she did keep it under control with a few warning looks from Puck reminding her that there was a young one among them.

Their party was coming to a close and Mike and Beth were clearing the table and doing the dishes. Noah couldn't believe that he was the father of a teenager. He thought it would be easier as she got older, but he found himself worrying more. He watched as Mike and Beth were discussing their picks for March Madness, which was starting in a couple of weeks and he was thankful that she wasn't a boy crazy teenager just yet.

Santana didn't follow sports and felt bad that Beth didn't have a female role model in her life. "I hear that it's a certain teenage girl's birthday coming up soon. What do you say I take you on a girl's day out? You need more female influence in your life because while this 'My Two Dads' routine that you've got going on right now is adorable, you need more of a balance."

Beth's eyes lit up and she was unbelievably excited to have a chance to spend time with Santana. They hadn't gotten a minute alone together and she still couldn't say whether or not Santana was her mother. "Can I go, Dad?"

Noah was a bit hesitant to let Beth spend time with Santana. He looked over at Santana. "Only if you promise to be on your best behavior and not corrupt my daughter."

Santana scoffed. "I'm just going to take her out for lunch and shopping and probably a mani-pedi. Most importantly, we can have some girl talk, none of this February Foolishness or whatever male sports ritual you were just talking about."

The following Saturday was their date, otherwise known as Estrogen Day, which was what Noah had dubbed it throughout the week. Santana picked Beth up nice and early and joked to Puck that he shouldn't wait up. As much as he was nervous about them spending time together, he was glad that she now had someone she could talk to about female stuff with. She was getting to be that age where girls could really benefit from having an older female to talk to.

They got the manicures and pedicures out of the way and stopped off for lunch at the Grove. Beth knew that she may never get time alone with her again so she decided to bite the bullet and ask her the question she was dying to get an answer to. "Santana, are you my mother?"

Santana had known this question was coming. "You are an amazing kid and I would love it if you were my daughter, but I'm sorry sweetie I'm not your mother."

Beth couldn't decide if she was relieved or sad. She liked Santana and they probably would have a lot of fun if they were mother and daughter, and her journey would have come to an end if Santana was her mother. She was relieved as well because if she was being honest, she really wanted Rachel to be her mother. "I kind of had a feeling that you weren't, but I wouldn't have minded if you were. You live here in town and you get along well with Dad and Uncle Mike. Plus, you're a lot of fun and I like hanging out with you."

Santana's heart melted. Quinn had no idea that she was missing out on such a wonderful child. "I like hanging out with you too. Seriously, you take my cell number and if you need anything, even if it's just that you're tired of hanging out with the testosterone twins and want a break, you call me."

"Okay. I'll remember that, thank you. So I'm guessing by your lack of surprise by my question that Uncle Mike told you about my mission. I'm also guessing that you also know who my mother is, but you're not going to tell me."

"He told me you were smart and direct. Yes, I do know who your mother is and yes, I would love to tell you, but I agree with Mike that it's not my place to tell you. Now that you know it's not me, what's your next step?"

"This is where I'm going to need yours and Uncle Mike's help. I need to go to New York and talk to Rachel. Either way, I'll know who my mother is by the end of that trip."

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, there is a reason why you haven't found out who your mother is yet."

"I just want to know who she is. I feel like I'll never feel whole unless I know who she is. I've sort of realized that if she really wanted to be a part of my life she could have been. Dad kept in touch with my mom all those years and sent money even though he didn't have to. I'm almost positive that my mom extended the same courtesy of keeping my birth mother in the loop, but she refused. I decided that I want to meet with Rachel because I feel such a connection with her from the story that Dad told me. I can tell that she's special to him and I really want to know why things didn't work out between them."

"Well, it sounds like you've thought a lot about this. It would probably kill me too if I didn't know who my mother was. I understand your desire for answers, but I'm also worried that you might not be ready for the emotional fallout that may come with knowing."

"I get that you are all trying to protect me and I love you all for it. I also know that this is something that I need to do. I used to be afraid to deal with emotions because I didn't want to be a burden to anyone, but Dad has taught me to feel those emotions because it's better than keeping them bottled up. If there's one thing that I know it's that whatever life throws at me I'll be able to get through it because I have Dad…and Uncle Mike…and now you. I'll always feel like I'm missing something if I don't do this."

Santana was not known for being a crier, but her eyes were misting. "You really are something else. This is something you need and I'm not going to stand in your way. Actually, I may be able to help you get to New York. A lot of schools out there have two week performing arts workshops during the summer that you can attend. It'll give you a reason to be out there without your dad getting too suspicious. I'll even fly out there for a couple of days and help you get in touch with Rachel."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, sweetie. I'm not going to throw you overboard without a lifesaver."

They finished up their lunch and then got involved in some serious shopping. It seemed as though Beth came home with a whole new wardrobe, which Noah would normally object to, but she was so happy that he couldn't bear to rain on her parade. Santana stayed for a bit to talk to Puck and decided to head out when Beth came down in her pajamas and announced that she was going to bed. "Thank you for today. I had a great time Aunt Santana." She gave her a big hug and raced upstairs to get ready for bed.

Noah looked at her, a quizzical look on his face. "Aunt Santana, huh? I'm impressed. You really made an impression on her and won her over."

"Don't look so surprised, Puckerman. The kid's got great taste."

"I'm going to have to keep an eye on you two. I have a feeling you're going to make life very interesting around here now that you're buds."

"You don't know the half of it." She said as she winked and let herself out.

* * *

A.N. - Please don't throw tomatoes at me! This is the last Rachel-less chapter. I swear!


	5. Chapter 5

A.N. - Okay, you've all been waiting for this one, so I won't keep you waiting. ZuxyQ, you absolutely deserve this one. You're the only one that truly gets all the nuances of my writing. Love you babe!

* * *

Over the next few months, Beth prepared for her trip to New York. Santana was amazing because it took her very little effort to convince Puck to let her go to a musical theater workshop. Santana had offered to fly in with Beth and stay a few days to make sure that she got settled in and Puck would fly in when the workshop was done and spend a day or two in the city with her before flying back with her.

Beth was much happier and her world was expanding since she was hanging out with Santana more. Summer arrived and it was time for the next step in Beth's plan. Traveling with Aunt Santana was great because they got to fly first class. They also got to spend the weekend at the Plaza before she moved into the dorm at school. They arrived on a Thursday and spent the next couple of days doing the touristy stuff that Beth wanted, and Saturday night was when Santana had arranged for them to go to Rachel's show. Since she was well-connected in the entertainment industry, it was no trouble for her to get backstage access.

Beth was too nervous to really enjoy the show. She was blown away by Rachel. She knew that Shelby's dream was to be a performer, but she had never gotten to see her on stage like this. Rachel was living that dream and was phenomenal at it.

Santana could see the starstruck look in her eyes and felt bad. She could tell that Beth believed Rachel was her mother and felt bad that it wasn't going to end the way that she wanted. She didn't feel too bad though because Rachel was her older sister, so at least they would have that bond. Mike had texted Rachel and told her of Santana's plans to visit, but the drama-loving side of Santana told him to leave Beth out of it. Santana and Rachel hadn't always gotten along, but they were older now and more mature and she knew that Beth's charm would win her over and she would eventually forget about the bombshell being dropped. Rachel always was a sucker for the Puckerman charm and Beth had it in spades, although she hadn't realized it yet.

Rachel was in her dressing room changing out of her costume and washing the makeup off when there was a knock. She didn't get many visitors backstage and she had been looking forward to seeing Santana. She rushed to the door and opened it. "Satan! It's about time you supported me in something." She opened her arms and welcomed Santana with a hug.

Beth was waiting off to the side letting them have their bonding moment. "My my my…you've done pretty well for yourself Hobbit."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw a young girl eager to say hi. She turned to look at Beth and looked her straight in the eyes. It had been years since she'd seen those hazel eyes. Santana saw her looking over at Beth and figured that now was as good a time as any to introduce them. "Rachel, this is…"

Rachel didn't need an introduction. "Beth." Her eyes were locked onto Beth and she couldn't seem to find the right words. She felt like she was in a surreal alternate universe.

Beth looked up at Rachel and could not believe her eyes. Rachel looked exactly like her mom. She was completely dumbfounded and felt like she was looking at a live, young picture of Shelby. The resemblance was uncanny and a bit unsettling for her. "How did you know who I was?"

Rachel snapped back into reality. "It's your eyes…they're exactly like your father's."

The next couple of minutes were spent just staring at each other. Santana finally broke the ice by clearing her throat. "Rachel, I know I should have told you I was bringing Beth, but I just thought that it would be more fun this way."

Rachel hit her playfully on the arm. "You always did like to stir the pot, didn't you San?"

Santana had a teasing glint in her eyes. "You know that's how I roll, Berry."

Rachel invited them into her dressing room and while she and Santana spent some time catching up, Beth sat down lost in her own thoughts. Rachel's resemblance to her mom was too unbelievable to be just a coincidence. She had gone over and over the notes of her dad's story and remembered that he said that she was raised by two gay dads and that her mom came into her life later. She just knew that Shelby was Rachel's biological mom. It made so much sense to her now. Rachel probably got pregnant and gave Beth to Shelby so that she could still pursue her dreams here in New York. The pieces all seemed to fit and Beth felt like she'd finally figured out who her mom was. She couldn't contain her excitement anymore and blurted out, "Rachel, are you my mother?"

Both Santana and Rachel were left speechless. Santana didn't realize that Beth would ask this soon. Rachel was absolutely blindsided by the question. She walked over to where Beth was and sat down next to her. "What makes you think that I'm your mother?"

Beth started in on the whole story, starting with how she started getting curious about her biological mother and how she got Noah to tell her the story of his high school girlfriends since she had figured out that her mother must have been someone he dated back then.

Santana waited until she finished and decided to interject. "She started with me, Rach. It's pretty amazing how strong genes are because she got Mike to help her arrange a meeting with me using her charm. She's just like Puck in that way."

Rachel chuckled to herself. "That Puckerman charm is very hard to resist." She looked over at Beth. "Honey I'm sorry, but I'm not your mother. I can see that you look like you've just literally seen a ghost. There is a reason why I look so much like Shelby. It's because she was my biological mother, which makes me your big sister." She could see the disappointment in Beth's face and moved closer to give her a hug.

Santana watched the sisters hug and decided to join them. "Sweetie, I know you're disappointed. I could tell from the look on your face during the show that you wanted Rachel to be your mother so badly, but you've gotten so much more than you bargained for. You know who your mother is now and you got a big sister out of the deal. Rachel may be a bit too energetic and critical for my taste, but she can actually be a great friend when she wants to be."

Santana's sarcastic nature hadn't missed a beat since high school. Rachel had to admit that she missed this interaction with her and even though they hadn't always gotten along in the past, Santana told it like she saw it and Rachel admired that kind of honesty. "And apparently you've made a very powerful ally in Santana. I heard that you were all living out in California now. What brings you out here to this great city?"

"Well, mom was always tight-lipped about who my biological mother was and she must have talked to dad because he wasn't exactly giving any information away either. Ever since dad told me the story about you three, I figured out that the only way I was going to get closure was to meet all of you. After meeting Aunt Santana, she figured out a way to get dad to let me come out here without knowing what I was doing. She signed me up for a two week musical theater workshop at NYU and came out here with me so that she could arrange this meeting."

"You're here for two whole weeks? This is great! When you're not busy, I can take you all around the city and we can do some sight-seeing, shopping, see some shows or just have some awesome sister bonding time. What do you say?"

"Aren't you going to be busy with your show?"

"Well, I've never taken time off unless I was knocking on death's door. My understudies always hated it because they would never get a chance to go on. I think now's as good a time as any to make a change."

Santana couldn't believe that Rachel was giving up the spotlight, but she also admired her for doing it for the sake of spending time with Beth. "I knew you two would bond instantly. I put you down as her emergency contact at the workshop Rach. That way they'll pretty much let you come and go as you please."

Rachel and Beth's eyes lit up with excitement. It was obvious that they couldn't wait to spend time together. They both tackled Santana with hugs. It was getting late, but they were all hungry so they went out to a late dinner to properly catch up with each other. The next day, Santana and Rachel took Beth to NYU to get settled in. The director of the program recognized Rachel and showered her with praise. He also asked her if she would be interested in leading a few sessions over the next two weeks. Rachel had talked to her agent and director to make sure her schedule was clear while Beth was there and happily agreed.

Santana left later that evening and the next few days flew by. Their mornings were filled with workshops and their afternoons were spent doing pretty much whatever they wanted. It wasn't all fun and games though. About a week into the workshop, they were taking a break and having some ice cream in Central Park when Beth asked a hard question. "Why didn't you come to mom's funeral?"

"I realize that Shelby didn't tell you everything about her past. I guess she either thought that she had more time, or she just didn't want to talk about it. I know that she was a great mother to you and I don't want you to think less of her. Shelby was my biological mother, but I didn't meet her until I was sixteen. She wasn't supposed to initiate contact with me until I was eighteen because that's the agreement she made with my dads, but she saw me perform at a glee club competition and couldn't help herself. We ended up connecting and I thought that we bonded, but it turns out that I was the only one who wanted to bond. She wanted the baby girl that she gave up, not the teenager that I was. You were her second chance at doing things right. I can see that she definitely didn't waste it."

"So you didn't come because you were mad?"

"Not mad. I had gotten used to not having a mother around, so I just went back to how things were before. I reached out to her and she wasn't interested at the time, so I figured the ball was in her court. I didn't want to keep getting rejected, so I just moved on. I didn't even know she was sick. My dads called as soon as they heard that she'd died, but it was too late to come for the funeral. Plus, I knew that you were probably taking it hard and I didn't want to push my way into your life at that time."

"Wow. I'm so sorry that you never really got a chance to know her. You remind me of her in so many ways. Sometimes I feel bad that I got so much time with her and you got so little."

"Don't feel bad about that. None of this is your fault. Shelby and I are the ones to blame. There are probably a million moments over the years where we could have made things right, but we didn't."

The ice cream was gone and it was starting to get dark so they went to one of Rachel's favorite restaurants for dinner before they went back to Beth's dorm. Rachel had avoided talking about Noah because she wasn't ready to cross that bridge just yet. Having Beth here and looking her in the eyes, his exact eyes, made every day hard because all the memories of him came rushing back from the place she had tucked them away. Noah was her first real friend in high school and her first boyfriend as well. Rachel had always wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been so obsessed with Finn and he wasn't so wrapped up in Quinn. Becoming friends for the last two years in high school was great, and they always seemed to toe the line between friendship and romance, but they never crossed it. Halfway through senior year, he got accepted to school out in California, and she was bent on going to New York, so they parted ways right after graduation. Now it seems that their paths will forever be intertwined because of Beth and she wondered if they could recapture the magic that they once had.

Rachel walked Beth up to her room and waited while she readied herself for bed. Beth's phone rang while she was in the bathroom down the hall and Rachel picked it up to see who it was. She saw _Dad_ on the screen and nearly dropped the phone. The one boy she could never get out of her heart was literally a push of a button away, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Eventually the call went to voicemail and she stood motionless in the middle of the room. The door opened and Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin. She handed the phone to Beth and told her that her dad had called and to call him back before she went to sleep.

Before she bid Beth goodnight, she asked her how she was doing in terms of adjusting to sleeping in a new place.

Beth got her ipod out of her bag and brought it into bed. "When I first came to live with Dad, he used to sing me to sleep because I had a hard time adjusting. He and Uncle Mike made recordings of the songs so I would have them with me at all times, in case they weren't around."

"What songs would he sing to you?"

"It started out with Disney songs, but then he told me the story about how he named me and sang 'Beth' to me one night. It shot straight up to the top of my list of favorite songs."

"I remember when he sang that song to you. It was the first time I truly cried at another person's performance."

"He also insisted on singing 'Sweet Caroline' to me quite a bit. I didn't get why, but I absolutely love the way that he sings it. I have it here on my ipod too. Do you want to hear it?"

Her heart melted. That was his song for her. She had heard the song so many times over the years and while she loved Neil Diamond, in her heart nothing compared to Noah playing and singing it for her. "I would love to hear it. Did you know that your dad sang this song to me when he wanted to prove that he had what it took to be a leading man? Of all the numbers that we've performed in glee, this one will always be my favorite. It was the first time that anyone ever sang a solo just for me."

Beth could see the fondness in her eyes as she reminisced about the song. She actually thought she might have seen tears in Rachel's eyes as she was listening to the song. She never really felt that her dad was singing that song to her all those years. Now she knew the reason why he loved to sing it so much. Her hunch was correct. There absolutely was unfinished business between her dad and Rachel and she thinks that it's because they never really got a decent chance at a relationship. She just had to get them back together. She had a feeling that it would be like one of those love stories in the movies. They would see each other for the first time in so long and they would just know that they were made for each other. Beth imagined them running into each other's arms and never letting go. Rachel would move out to California and they would all live together as one happy family.

As Beth found out a week later, real life doesn't mirror the movies no matter how much we may want them to. Beth wanted to see her dad's true reaction to seeing Rachel after all these years so she didn't tell him about their own reunion as sisters. He came out to the dorm, took a tour of the school, and got to see some of the activities that she had worked on throughout the week. Beth told him that she had a surprise for him and they went off to meet Rachel for dinner.

Noah's heart literally skipped a beat when he realized who their dinner companion was. She looked even more gorgeous than he remembered and he fumbled to find the right words. He was a bit embarrassed about his awkwardness and Rachel just laughed. "It's nice to see that the always smooth Noah Puckerman isn't always so suave."

He pulled her into a hug. "You have that effect on me Berry. You're looking good as always…actually you're looking better than ever."

It was Rachel's turn to blush. "You're not so bad yourself Puckerman." He was wearing a black t-shirt and it accentuated those guns that she was always so eager to touch in high school. Her mouth went dry and she had to lick her lips, which definitely didn't go unnoticed by Noah. "California agrees with you. It must be all that time you spend on the beach."

They laughed and spent the time catching up and Beth just sat back and saw the magic that Uncle Mike talked about. They were a perfect fit. Her dad's eyes lit up and she had never seen him so carefree than when he was with her. Rachel was always so in control and very conscious of how she presented herself, but around her dad, she seemed like a giddy school girl. She laughed at all his jokes and she knew for a fact that her dad wasn't that funny. He loved teasing Rachel and riling her up, and this was a side of her dad that she had never seen before.

Dinner went by entirely too fast, so they made plans to have brunch in the morning before his and Beth's flight. Noah went back to his hotel feeling rejuvenated for the first time in a very long time. He got back to his room and realized that all the good feelings were about to blow up in his face. He opened his bag to look at the work he brought with him and an envelope fell out. It was a bit wrinkled and had yellowed over the years. He was mad at himself for being a coward and not being able to send it to her like he had intended, but he couldn't bear another minute with her knowing that he had it. He ran his finger over the script on the front of the envelope…_Rachel_. He just hoped that he would get a chance to explain his reasons for keeping it so long.

The next morning, he got up early and packed then headed over to Beth's dorm to get her luggage in order. Rachel had sent a car for them so they wouldn't have to worry about their luggage. The car brought them to the Clinton St. Baking Company, Rachel's most favorite brunch place. They were seated right away, despite the hordes of people waiting to get in the door. Dining with a Broadway superstar had its perks.

He waited until the end of the meal to pull out the letter. "Rachel, I have something for you." He passed the envelope to her and she looked confused.

She opened the letter and started reading, and her eyes started filling with tears. They were definitely not happy tears. They looked to be a mixture of sad and angry tears. Noah wanted to duck and cover knowing that there was a Rachel Berry onslaught on the horizon.

"Noah, you're just giving this to me now? Why am I just getting this now?"

Noah got flustered and started to talk, but it wasn't making sense. Rachel looked so angry and hurt and didn't seem to be interested in any kind of explanation he tried to offer.

"I think you really need to go."

He tried to take her hand and start to explain, but she recoiled as if his hands were made of fire. "The car will take you to the airport. I just can't look at you right now without my heart breaking, so please just go."

Beth didn't understand how things could go from good to bad in such a short time. She wanted to know what was in the envelope. How could her dad have messed up so badly? She got up and hugged Rachel, and promised to stay in touch. Noah looked at Rachel one last time, trying to see if there was still hope for him. She refused to look at him so he just turned and walked out of the restaurant, his head lowered and cursing himself internally knowing that he probably let the love of his life slip right through his fingers.


	6. Chapter 6

A.N. - So sorry it took me so long to update. Life is crazy right now and apparently it's been tough posting updates on this site lately. I hope you like it!

* * *

The ride to the airport was especially painful. Noah spent most of it leaning forward in his seat, head in his hands. This marked the second time in his life that his heart was broken. He had gotten a second chance to mend the damage from the first time. He wasn't so sure that he was going to be given a second chance this time around. A couple of times, he was tempted to ask the driver to turn around and take him back to the restaurant and force Rachel to look him in the eyes so he could explain himself. He pushed those thoughts aside though because the situation was still so fresh and he wanted to give her time to process things.

Beth couldn't take it anymore. She was so used to her dad being so strong and protective, and it pained her to see him looking so hurt and helpless. "Daddy, what did you do to make Rachel so mad? What was in that envelope you gave her?"

He lifted his head and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "There was a letter in that envelope from your mom. I was supposed to mail it to her after the funeral, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, I've carried it with me for the last five years trying to gather the courage to do it, but every time I got close to doing it, I would lose my nerve. I wanted to call Rachel when I first moved in and tell her what was going on, but your mom was adamant that I not do it. I convinced her that Rachel deserved answers, so she wrote a letter just before she died."

"And you kept it all this time? She's been trying to make peace with this since she found out about mom's death. She beats herself up pretty hard about the opportunities that she missed when it comes to mom. That letter could have helped her deal with some of that."

"I know, that's why I feel so horrible about it." He went on to tell her the reasons why he kept chickening out and she let down her defenses.

Up until that moment, Beth had been siding with Rachel, but after hearing her dad's side of things, she realized that it was just too complicated. She slid over and hugged Noah, letting him know that she understood where he was coming from. "It's going to be okay Dad. Rachel will cool off eventually and then we can figure out what to do about this whole thing. Once we get home, we'll get back into our routine and let the dust settle."

He had totally forgotten about his surprise for her. "We're not going back to California just yet. I wanted to surprise you at the airport, but I might as well tell you now. We're going to Lima for a visit. Grandma Ruth and Aunt Abby have been asking us to come for a while now and we haven't been back since the funeral."

This was perfect! She now knew that Quinn was her mother and that she had moved back to Lima for Finn. This was her chance to finally get to know her up close and personal. The plane ride from New York to Ohio was quick and the drive to Lima was uneventful. Noah was very quiet and only spoke when he needed to. Beth was glad that they were going to her grandma's because she knew that if anyone could help it would be her.

Noah spent the first two days moping around the house. Ruth knew that there was something bothering him, but he didn't want to talk about it. It was going to be a long week if he didn't snap out of it so she cornered Beth and got the details from her. There was nothing that she could really do, so she decided to just try and make the best of the situation and hope that things would get resolved. She adored Beth and wouldn't trade her for the anything, but she really had her heart set on her son meeting and marrying a nice Jewish girl so that they could give her lots of Jewish grandbabies. She'd known Rachel since she was a little girl and was very good friends with her dads. She couldn't have handpicked a better girl for her son.

On the third day, Noah was feeling reminiscent so he brought out his old yearbooks. Rachel and Puck were such great friends and spent a lot of Junior and Senior year together since she was his tutor. There were tons of pictures of them together in the yearbooks. He was leafing through the pages and reading the captions when Beth joined him. "Oooh, your old yearbooks. Show me what you looked like back then."

He found a nice solo picture of him in a basketball uniform and showed it to her. Beth laughed hysterically. "You had a mohawk?"

"Hey, be nice. I was pretty badass and let me tell you, the ladies loved it."

"It's just weird to see you with hair. I've only ever known you to have a shaved head. I have to admit, you pulled it off."

"That's right and don't you forget it."

"Can I see what Aunt Santana and Rachel looked like?"

He found the section for the glee club and there were some pictures from the year that they won Nationals. "There's Santana. And there is Rachel."

"Aunt Santana hasn't changed much. Rachel's fashion sense has gotten so much better since then."

"A lot of people made fun of her because of the way that she dressed, but I never minded it. Some people thought she looked like a dork, but I thought she looked cute."

She wanted so badly to see a picture of Quinn. "Turn to the Cheerios section."

Noah had to look it up in the index. He opened to the section. "The Cheerios always got multi-page spreads because their coach demanded it."

Beth flipped through the pages and there it was. A half-page showcasing that year's head Cheerio. Quinn Fabray. Tall, blond, and absolutely beautiful. She finally had a face to put with the name. She was so close to her geographically, yet she couldn't be farther away in every other way that mattered. Before she got too emotional, she suggested to her dad that they go make lunch. Plus, her dad actually seemed a lot better and she didn't want him to go back into his depressive state.

Noah decided to take a nap after lunch. Beth decided that this was her best chance to finally meet her mom. She did some research and information gathering for her mission and told her grandma and aunt that she was going to play with some of the neighborhood kids down the street at the park. Noah woke up about an hour and a half later feeling refreshed. He made his way down to the kitchen to get a snack. "Hey Ma, where's Beth?"

"She said she was going down to the park to play with some of the other kids. She should be back soon. I told her to be home in time for dinner."

Noah thought some fresh air would do him good so he walked down the park to find his daughter. He had forgotten how nice it was to have parks just down the street from the house. In California they sometimes had to drive for 20 minutes before getting to a park that was decent enough for them to go to. He got to the park and saw a bunch of kids playing. He scanned the crowd for his daughter, but didn't see her anywhere. He did another quick scan and realized that something was wrong. He quickly took his cell phone out and dialed her number. No answer. He ran back to the house and tried her number again. He could hear it ringing and realized that she had left it in the side pocket of her backpack. He was frantic and started interrogating his mom and sister about her whereabouts. Ruth was at a loss, but Abby remembered Beth asking her if she knew where Finn Hudson lived.

Why would Beth care where Finn lived? They'd never met and he barely ever talked about him. He figured he could sort all this out later. He had to find her first. Finn and Quinn lived a few streets over so it was just a quick walk away. He headed out the door and told his mom and sister not to worry and he'd check in with them soon.

He found Beth sitting on the curb across the street from Finn and Quinn's house. There was a huge window in the front and he could see Quinn playing with her kids in the living room. Beth sat there, entranced by what she saw. He sat down next to her on the curb. "Hey kiddo, you had me worried."

Beth knew that she had to come clean. Her journey had brought her this far, but she couldn't seem to make it the last two hundred feet. "I know that Quinn is my mother."

Noah felt like he got sucker punched. "I didn't even realize you were looking for her."

"You and mom were always so secretive about her. Every time I would bring her up, you would either dodge my questions or change the subject entirely so I had to get creative. I figured out that she was probably your high school girlfriend, so that's why I asked you to tell me that story after we watched '13 Going On 30'. The only thing was, I thought that it would be easy to figure it out, but there ended up being three different candidates instead of just the one and I couldn't figure out which one she was."

"Is this why you took all those notes? And why all of a sudden my ex-girlfriends popped back up in my life?"

Beth was crying now, realizing how much she had hurt her dad by being so secretive. "I'm so sorry Dad. I didn't think it would cause so much drama. I just wanted to know who she was and where I came from. Every day, I see what traits I got from you. People talk about our eyes all the time and apparently I've inherited the Puckerman charm. I'd just like to know what of hers I got. I started with Aunt Santana because she was the closest one. I talked Uncle Mike into arranging that little get together at his house. When I found out it wasn't her, I turned my attention to Rachel. I wanted it to be her so bad. Everything seemed to fit because I felt such a connection with her through the story and what Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana told me about her."

Noah was completely dumbstruck with how elaborate this all was. "So Santana helped you get in touch with Rachel? You really do have the Puckerman charm because Santana doesn't do things like this for just anyone."

"If I had known how it was going to end with you and Rachel, I would never have opened that door. I'm so sorry that you ended up hurt and depressed."

Noah could see how torn up she was about this. He pulled her closer to him. "Don't you worry about me, kid. I was the one who messed up when it comes to Rachel. It was time that I faced my mistakes and you just helped me. I don't blame you at all and I don't want you blaming yourself. Are you mad at me for being so secretive about Quinn?"

"I know you would never hurt me on purpose. I figured that you and mom had your reasons. I don't know what stopped me from going to the door. She just looks so happy with her other kids and they adore her. I guess it just hurts that she has all this room for them and none at all for me."

Tears were streaming down both their cheeks at this point. "This is exactly what I hoped that we would avoid. I talked to her after your mom died, hoping that she would have some desire to have a connection with you, but she made it clear that her life was finally the way she wanted it and she wasn't interested in looking back. The one thing that stirs up the anger in me most is when the women that I love are hurting and I either can't do anything to help or I caused it somehow. You are number one on that list and I will always do whatever I can so that I don't have to see that hurt look in your eyes. I hope you understand why I was so reluctant to tell you about her."

"I love knowing that you love and care about me. I guess I just wanted to see her. I had a feeling that she really didn't have a desire to have me in her life. I know that mom kept in touch with you all those years because you wanted me in your life. I don't want to force myself into someone's life if they don't want me. I want someone who chooses me. That's you, Dad."

"What do you say we get out of here? Your grandma has been cooking all afternoon and you know how she just loves to spoil us. She's making my favorite, beef brisket and matzo ball soup."

"Yum…I'm starving." They started their walk back home and Beth felt peace because she did what she set out to do. She found her mother. No more wondering who she is or what she looks like. "You know what Dad?" He slowed his walk and looked down at her. "I set out to do everything I wanted to do and even though I didn't get what I thought I wanted, I'm much better off because instead of having a mother who doesn't want me, I ended up with Aunt Santana and a big sister. I know things will eventually work out between you and Rachel. You two were meant for each other."

"So you're a fortune teller now? Can you tell me what lottery numbers I should be playing?"

_Meanwhile, in New York_

It had been three days since she had told Noah to leave. He had blindsided her with Shelby's letter. She thought that she had made peace with her mother's death, but the letter reopened a lot of old wounds. She hadn't even gotten past the first two sentences before she felt the wounds reopening and she went into self-protective mode and asked him to leave. She also couldn't believe that Noah would have kept this from her for so long. Would he ever have given it to her if Beth hadn't brought them together again? There were so many questions that she couldn't answer. Noah had always been the one who was in her corner, especially when everyone else was so quick to antagonize her. Everything had been going so well in their reunion. She had felt like maybe this was their second chance to get things right. The fact that he had withheld this from her and the way he blindsided her just felt like a betrayal.

When all was said and done, she knew that he must have had a good reason for holding on to it so long. Beth was in her life now and that wasn't going to change. She didn't deserve more people dropping out of her life. Santana had told her about how Quinn wasn't interested in looking back, and Rachel had vowed to herself that she was going to be brave and not run away from Beth like her mother had run from her. She had read and reread the letter hundreds of times since she had gotten it and pulled it out again.

_Dear Rachel,_

_I know that this letter is too little way too late. When I first found out that I was sick I realized that my one huge regret in life was how I handled my relationship with you. It's amazing how ironic life is. We make plenty of mistakes and figure that we'll have enough time to balance them out later. It's only when a timer is put on your remaining days that you realize how selfish you are and how big the emotional debt you've created is._

_A majority of my life was spent living selfishly. At first it was selfish ambition that drove me, then bitter selfishness at my broken dreams took over. I was so selfish when it came to you. I wanted all the blessings that came with being a mother, but none of the responsibility. The way that you so willingly embraced and pursued a relationship with me was just a reminder that it was my abandonment that created a hole in you that you were so desperate to fill._

_I knew I couldn't live up to your visions of what our relationship would be like, so I thought it would be best to not disappoint you anymore. I was so wrong. Disappointment is just as inevitable in life as death and taxes are. What makes life worthwhile are the relationships we cultivate. If we are so blessed, our legacy lives on through the ones we love. You and Beth are the only people that I truly loved in life. You both got the best of me. Beth got the grown up me and the unselfish love that you deserved. You got all the best qualities of me with none of my selfishness and bitterness to corrupt you. Even now that I only have a limited number of days left I want to reach out to you, but I realize that the act of doing so is selfish. It's purely for my own peace of mind that I want this. You have moved on and are a much better person in spite of how I failed you. You are so much stronger and amazing than I ever was or could ever hope to be. I have instructed Noah not to inform you about my illness, so please don't hold it against him and please don't beat yourself up about not reaching out to me. I turned you down the last time you came to me, so all the regret falls on me. As one last selfish request, I ask that you please give up that regret and let it die with me. You don't need that weighing you down for the rest of your life._

_I hope that someday you'll want to be a part of your sister's life and that you'll show her the best parts of me that I never got to. There is one thing that I do want to leave you with. Please don't withhold or run away from love. The more you put out there, the more you'll get in return. I learned this lesson the hard way and it was much too late. It may not always feel like it, but you have people in your life who love you unconditionally. Once you realize that you have it, grab on and don't let go or you'll probably end up like me. _

_Love,_

_Shelby_

She finished reading and still had tears in her eyes. That last line always got her. Since she was intent on keeping Beth in her life, Noah was part of the package. She didn't know what the future held for them, but she knew that she needed answers. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed her agent.

"I need to take some time off…No, I don't know how much. Just clear my schedule for the next month, ok?"

She fished a business card out of her purse and made another call.

The recipient answered on the first ring. "Santana Lopez, badass PR bitch to the stars."

"Is that your standard greeting?"

Santana laughed. "Only to the biggest stars. What's up Berry?"

"I know this is short notice, but I'm hopping on the next plane out of here. Can you pick me up from LAX? Oh, and I need a place to stay."

"Jeez Hobbit, is your ass on fire or something? You're lucky that I'm not completely like my high school self. Of course I'll come pick you up and you can stay with me."

Santana smiled and hung up the phone. Beth had called her and told her what happened. She knew that everything was about to hit the fan, but Puck and Rachel could never stay mad at each other for too long, so if Puck played his charm right, Santana would have a new client to add to her list.


	7. Chapter 7

A.N. - okay so I'm really sorry for disappearing on you for a bit there. I haven't forgotten about this story by any means. I went on a last minute trip to Chicago, then came back and had to leave again right away for Sacramento for my best friend's wedding shenanigans. All is back to normal so here I am and here is the next chapter! The next one is written and I have a feeling you'll want it soon, so I'll publish that in the next couple of days. Also, thank you to those that take the time to review. I really love reading what you all think about this story. Enjoy!

* * *

Rachel was nervous, excited, anxious, and scared throughout the plane ride. There were so many times she thought about coming out to the west coast, but she could never bring herself to make the journey. She had always been so methodical in everything she did and thought every step through before she could take it. This was true even in her relationships. Since high school, she had never let her heart lead her. The few times she allowed that to happen, it led to utter heartbreak. Jesse, Shelby, Finn…all of them left her heart in ruins so she built a fortress around her heart. No one since then even came close to penetrating the walls of her heart and she liked it that way. She was married to her career and she thought that it was enough.

Then she met Beth, Noah reentered her life, and Shelby reached out to her from beyond the grave. They all showed her that you have to be willing to risk your heart to truly reap the benefits of love. Beth's heart was so pure. She loved and lost, but she was so brave to keep putting her heart on the line to get what she wanted. She left herself open for heartbreak by setting out to find her mother, yet she still managed to see the bright side even in the disappointments that life handed to her.

Noah is a protector. He jumps in front of those he loves without a second thought. He willingly takes the hits, both physical and emotional, to shield others from the pain. She knew that he would never intentionally hurt her, which is why she needed answers from him.

Shelby risked nothing in terms of her relationship with Rachel, which is why she ended up with nothing from that relationship in the end. In order to have a chance at having everything her heart ever wished for, she would have to be willing to risk putting it in someone else's hands.

Her plane landed and she retrieved her bags and waited at the curb for Santana. She pulled up in her black Lexus and got out to help her load her bags. "I'm so glad that you finally made it out to Lala land, but next time try to avoid flying into LAX. This is the worst airport ever designed in the history of mankind. The traffic in this city is horrendous and this layout doesn't help."

Good old Santana…she always found some way to insert her opinion in such a sarcastic and funny way. "It seems so peaceful and laid back here. The views from the beachfront must be gorgeous."

"Gorgeous…yes, but peaceful? Keep dreaming. Rush hour here is when this place turns into Hell-A. But seriously, I think you're going to love it here. You just have to get past all the negative aspects and realize that LA has so much more to offer."

"Are you making a pitch to me to move out here?"

"I'm just saying you'd be a welcome addition, that's all."

"How much did Beth tell you?"

"She called me because she was afraid that she'd lost you. All I know is that Puck gave you a letter or something and you got upset and told him to leave."

"It was a letter from Shelby. She wrote it just before she died."

Santana was completely shocked. "Are you serious? And he just gave it to you now? What the hell was that bonehead thinking?"

"Believe me, I had the same reaction except mine had much more anger. I've spent the last three days contemplating things and rereading the letter and I think I'm finally going to have peace about my dysfunctional relationship with my mother. It's time to let go of the past and look forward to the future."

"And does your future include two adorable, hazel-eyed sweethearts whose charm you could never resist?"

Rachel almost choked on her water. Santana had this ability to just cut through all the pretense and shoot straight to the point. There was no reason to keep secrets anymore. "That's the hope. I know it won't be a fairy tale or anything and we have a lot of things to work through before we can even think about going there. I just need to see him because I have questions that I need answered."

Santana's heart leapt with joy. "I hate to burst your bubble, but you're going to have to wait. They're not back yet."

"What? They left New York almost four days ago."

"They stopped in Lima to visit Ruth and Abby. They'll be back in a few days. Afraid you're stuck with me until then."

"Hanging out with Satan in Hell-A? Sounds perfect."

_Lima, Ohio_

Their last few days in Lima were much more enjoyable and fun than the first few days. Ruth was just glad to see her son happy and smiling after the three day funk he was in. The night before they went back to California, she pulled him aside.

"Noah, Beth told me about what happened with Rachel in New York."

"Oh Ma, please don't go into a whole lecture about how I messed up yet again. I already feel bad enough as it is."

"Honey, I know you feel bad. I don't intend to make you feel worse than you already do, but can I ask what you intend to do about this situation? You know you can't leave things like this."

"I know, I know. I'm just so afraid of making it worse with her. I feel like I don't know what to do or what to say."

"I'm going to tell you what I've observed over the years. When your dad left, you acted out and I don't blame you for that. You started turning things around when you dated Rachel. You stopped being such a big jerk and I started to see you care less about yourself and your image. Then you two broke up and you went back to your old self. After Beth was born, you changed. You had your moments where you acted out, but that's when I saw you become a man. You stepped up and really took care of me and your sister, just like your father should have. You've made life better for all of us and I see now that it was Rachel's influence that helped you get there. She was the one who made you realize that you were capable of so much more than you thought, and she was the one who was by your side encouraging you those last two years of high school when you stepped up and made a life for yourself outside of Lima. I'm so proud of you and I want what's best for you and what will make you happy. The way I see it, Rachel is both of those things and so much more. You may think that it's the Jewish mom wanting Jewish grandbabies talking, but the fact that she's Jewish is just icing on the cake for me. You have to find a way to make things right with her because women like her come along once in a lifetime if we are so blessed."

Listening to what his mom had to say just made him more determined to do things right. He has done right by every woman in his life except Rachel. After all that had happened, the one thing he knew for sure was that she was the one for him. Convincing her of that would be another matter entirely. "You are so right, Ma. I'm not going to mess this up anymore."

"You didn't mess up as badly as you think. You've just had other priorities. You are so strong for Beth, Abby, and me, but I can't let you do it anymore at the expense of your own heart. Trust me, we'll be a lot better off if you're selfish just this once. As much pain as it's caused, I think that Shelby's death had a much higher purpose. You got Beth as a result and because of Beth, you and Rachel are connected for the rest of your lives."

Beth was listening intently from the other room and decided to put her two cents in. "See Dad? Grandma thinks you're meant to be too and I'm sure that if we ask her, Aunt Abby would agree."

"Well, I guess I better get used to this. I'm surrounded by strong women. Adding one more to the mix should be a piece of cake."

_Back in Hell-A_

Rachel and Santana had a blast hanging out together. They had both matured a lot since high school, and while Santana hadn't lost her sarcasm or wit, her barbs were not thrown with malicious intent like they were back then. Santana was able to bring out the feisty and playful side of Rachel and their bond grew even deeper the more time they spent together. Mike loved seeing this side of Rachel and he always had a soft spot for Santana's roughness, because it represented everything he wasn't. Santana added color to his life and he was glad that he had kept in touch with her all these years.

It was finally time for the moment of truth. Today was the day that Noah and Beth would be coming home. Santana thought about telling them that Rachel was in LA, but she couldn't resist creating an epic reunion.

"Come on Rach, you love drama."

"I do love drama, but not when it's my own."

"The only drama is the way I want them to find out you're here. Everything else is actually a bit boring if you ask me."

"What do you mean boring? I still have no idea why he waited so long to give me the letter. For all I know, he was never going to give it to me."

"I can't speak for him exactly, but we both know that he had a good reason for doing what he did. You're going to hear him out and forgive him then you'll kiss for first time in what has felt like centuries and we'll all live happily ever after. Beth will get a mom/big sister and you and Puck will finally have each other which is great for the rest of us in your dating pools because we both know that you two are the only ones who are ever going to be able to handle each other."

"When did you become a psychic? You're that sure it's going to work out between me and Noah?"

"Oh sweetie, it's never been a question about if it will happen, it's always been a question of when you two would finally get your heads out of your asses and see what's been in your hearts since high school. I dated him, but I was never even in the same league as you. You want to know why I was such a bitch to everyone he dated while he was dating them except you?" Rachel nodded. "I know when I'm overmatched. I could see that he would never choose me over you. He sang a solo for the first time in his life for you and he completely lost his heart to you. I even tested that theory several times. All those times I was a bitch to you were designed to see how he really felt about you. Every single time, he chose you and stood up for you against me. He passed with flying colors. And Mike says there hasn't been anyone even worth mentioning since. You've had his heart this whole time so there was really nothing left over for him to give to anyone else."

Rachel wanted to believe her, but experience told her that she needed to see him and hear him say the words. "I'm not completely convinced."

"You two can be very frustrating to deal with. If you call him and tell him you're in town, you'll just find ways to talk yourselves further into your craziness. At least with my way, you'll be able to see his true reaction to seeing you and you'll force him to finally say what he's been holding back all these years."

"If this blows up, you'll only have yourself to blame."

"If there's one thing I know, it's that Puck delivers big when there's a lot on the line. Your hearts and futures are on the line, not to mention Beth's as well, so I know he's not going to just throw all that away. In fact, I'm calling dibs on you right now. This time next week, you're going to start making plans to graduate from Broadway and take the next step towards Rachel Berry world domination and come to Hollywood. You better not think of going to anyone else for your PR needs because you know that no one is going to look out for you the way I will."

Mike picked up Puck and Beth from the airport and they were happy to finally be home. Beth dominated the conversation on the way home, telling Mike all about New York. Puck loved watching Beth talk about Rachel. He was so glad that she finally found someone to look up to and could talk to. It was important for a teenage girl to have someone like that.

They stopped off at In-N-Out to get some burgers to take home for dinner. Mike was all set to join them, but as soon as they got to the house, Santana called with an emergency so he apologized and left right away. Noah brought in the luggage while Beth brought in the food.

Beth wanted to hit the ground running and start coming up with a plan for him when he talked to Rachel. "Dad, I think that you should surprise her in New York. Just show up one day without calling. That way she can't make up excuses for not seeing or meeting with you. The element of surprise will be your advantage."

"I don't know, Beth I'll have to think about it."

"Now's not the time to think, Dad just go with how you feel. You need to tell her why you didn't give her the letter right away. Once she hears your reasons I know she'll forgive you. Oh, and tell her the story you told me. It was pretty obvious to me how you felt about her when I heard it, so maybe she just needs to hear it too."

Noah just took it all in while he was preparing the table for dinner when he heard a familiar voice from the family room. "What story, Noah?"


	8. Chapter 8

A.N. - As promised, here's the next chapter, the one many of you have been waiting for. I hope it was worth the wait.

ZuxyQ - This chapter is my gift to you. You're the best Glee date ever, and help keep me inspired even when my funk threatens to bring me down. I love you more than words can say...

* * *

Noah nearly dropped everything in his hands when he heard her voice. He turned towards the family room and walked over to her slowly, as if he was afraid that he might scare her off. He couldn't even form full questions. "When did you…how did you…why are you…?"

In that moment, Rachel knew that he had no malicious intent behind keeping Shelby's letter for so long. He was genuinely shocked to see her, and she could see remorse in his eyes. "I got here three days ago, Mike let me in before he went to pick you up from the airport – it was Santana's idea, and as for why I'm here…I came for some answers."

"I thought you hated me or at the very least would never be able to forgive me. I know I messed up pretty badly."

"I could never hate you. Even in high school when I wanted to, I could never do it. I shouldn't have asked you to leave so quickly that last day. I was just shocked and hurt and you caught me off guard, so retreating was a natural reflex for me."

"You reacted just about how I expected you would. Actually, I expected a lot worse. I know I deserved it."

Beth came down from her room at that moment. "Dad, I'm really hungry now. Are we going to eat…" Her voice trailed off when she came into kitchen and saw Rachel standing there talking to her dad. She ran straight to her and practically tackled her with a hug. "Rachel! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see both of you. I know things ended pretty badly last time we saw each other and I came to see if we can work things out. I want to be a part of your life, Beth. Actually, I want you both in my life."

Beth looked up and saw the way that Rachel and her dad connected in that moment. "Why don't you join us for dinner? Uncle Mike was supposed to, but he had an emergency come up and had to go."

Rachel smiled to herself. "Let me guess…Santana called him?"

Beth was confused as to why Rachel was smiling. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Your Aunt Santana has a flair for the dramatic. Me being here to surprise you two was all her idea. She didn't want your dad and I getting in our own way and messing this all up."

Santana made number four on this growing list of people that wanted them together so badly. Noah knew that there was no more time to waste. "Okay, I can see that there's no way around this so how about we have dinner first and then Rachel you will get the answers that you came for." He looked down and noticed that they had extra burgers and remembered that Rachel was a vegan. "Rach, we have an extra double-double since Mike ordered it, but I know you're a vegan, so maybe it's cool if we just give you our fries? Or I can run out and get whatever you want. I'd offer to make you something, but I made sure the fridge was empty before I left."

Rachel thought it was so cute how he was so concerned about what she was going to eat. "Noah, your memory brings you back a long time. I was a vegan, but I'm not anymore. I slowly worked meat back into my diet. I'm still very careful about what I eat and I don't eat meat very often, but I do splurge every now and then. Mike has been raving about In-N-Out the whole time I've been here, so I'm dying to try it. He says the fries are the best."

Beth chimed in. "They are. If you go into the restaurant you can see them cut the potatoes fresh. There's one guy whose only job is to cut the potatoes that day. One time while we ate our meal, I saw him cut like 100 potatoes just to keep up with the orders."

Santana was waiting for Mike at his beach house. "So…what happened?"

"I dropped them off and then you called, that's it."

She hit him on the arm. "You were supposed to go in with them! I wanted to know what Puck's reaction was to seeing her."

"Ouch! Well, you never told me that."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Do you think I set this all up without wanting to know the results? At least I have a contact on the inside." She pulled out her phone.

They were just finishing up dinner when Beth got the text from Santana. _How's it going with the two lovebirds?_

She knew her dad would never get the nerve to do this in front of her, so she excused herself and called Aunt Santana. "We just finished dinner. I made an excuse to leave so they could talk."

"You have to figure out a way to spy on them or something. Your Uncle Mike here was supposed to stay until your dad saw Rachel so he could tell me what their reactions were, but he screwed that up."

Beth could hear Mike in the background protesting. "You're with Uncle Mike right now?"

"Yeah, but he's pretty much useless to me now." She turned and saw the hurt look on Mike's face. "Whatever…don't look so hurt. You want them together too." She focused her attention back on her conversation with Beth. "Are you going to be a good little minion and find out this info for Aunt Santana?"

"I'm going to let them have their moment. I'm pretty sure they'll talk to me whenever they're done since whatever decisions they make are going to affect me too. I promise you'll be the first person I call when they tell me what's going on."

They both hung up and Santana sat down on the couch in a huff. "What are we going to do now? You all know I hate waiting."

Mike was confused. "Well, I was planning on just going about my life and waiting for them to let me know what's going on. There's no sense in driving yourself nuts over something you have no control over."

"Of course you can do that, you're a guy. You see, girls are social creatures and we love gossiping. Especially when you've set up something like this and you just know that it's going to go well."

"Well, if you know how it's going to go, then why stress over it?"

"I know the general outcome, but I like hearing the details. Girls are all about the details."

Mike's head was spinning. The more he tried to understand females, it seemed like the less he understood them. It was pretty clear that Santana was too wound up to go anywhere at the moment, so he decided to help her out. "Why don't we put on a movie and just relax, huh?"

She was still typing away on her phone so she barely even heard what he said. He slid next to her on the couch and took the phone away from her. She looked pissed off and tried to grab the phone back from him. "Santana, I'm making an executive decision here. You're going to put this away and stop stressing. We're going to watch a movie and you're going to not think about it until we get a call from Beth, okay?"

She could see there was no point in arguing anymore. She sat pretty stiffly on the couch and waited while the Mike put the movie on. She couldn't believe how he was reacting at the moment. No one ever really challenged her and she never backed down so quickly, but there was something about the way Mike took charge of the situation that diffused all her normal defenses. She actually felt safe letting her guard down in front of him and knew that he would never take advantage.

Mike sat down on the couch next to her, but he could feel all the tension radiating out of her stiff body. "This will not do. You need to relax." He motioned for her to scoot closer to him. She complied and he put his arm around her. Santana felt something she'd never felt before when Mike put his arm around her. Normally, she wasn't really the touchy feely type, but with him, it felt good. It was warm and comforting and it was just nice to truly feel relaxed for the first time in a long time. She didn't really make it back to Lima that much, but it was the same feeling that she would get when her family would welcome her after a long absence.

Noah and Rachel cleared off the table. They realized that Beth had made it up to her room and was making herself scarce so that they could have a chance to talk things out.

"Okay Noah, I came out here for some answers so let's hear it."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"How about you start with this story that Beth keeps talking about? Tell it exactly how you told it to her."

"Well, I need her here. She asked questions along the way and even took notes."

They found Beth in her room and joined her on the bed. "Sweetie, Rachel wants to hear me tell you the story again. Could you get out your notes so that we can do it the same way we did that night?"

Beth was ecstatic to help. She and Noah sat on her bed, just like they did the first time he told her while Rachel just sat back and took it all in. Watching the two of them was magic for her. The way that they were both so tender and protective of each other was endearing and Rachel knew in her heart there was nowhere else in the world she would rather be. She had finally hit her limit. There was no amount of success or awards that could ever her make her feel as good as she did right in this moment. Finding out that Noah approached her partly because of his mother and because he had a dream about her way back then just made their journey even more epic and made her feel as though there was a higher power at work. Hearing how he saw past her take no prisoners attitude and how he saw the vulnerable little girl that lived in her heart gave her a warm and tingly feeling inside because he could have easily taken advantage of that, but instead he chose to protect her. She loved that she was the only person to see his vulnerable side too. She wanted to protect him as much he protected her.

He finished the story and Beth was looking really tired so they tucked her in and went downstairs to finish their talk.

"Beth was right. I needed to hear that story. It solidifies all the reasons that I dropped everything to come out here. I just need one more thing from you. Why did you wait so long to give me Shelby's letter?"

Noah took a breath and let out a long sigh. This is the question he'd been dreading. He knew that answering this question truthfully would mean putting his heart in her hands. He didn't know what he'd do if she crushed his dreams along with his heart. "I held on to the letter for so long because I couldn't bear to let it go. I knew you deserved the answers that were in that letter, and I would have loved nothing more than to give them to you, but since we were both so busy doing our own thing and had lost touch since high school it was the only connection I had to you. You've been so instrumental in shaping the man that I've become today. You were the first one who ever believed I was anything more than just an arrogant jerk. You forgave me even though you had every right to hate me for the things I did to you. You inspired me to be brave and perform a solo in front of the group and awakened this desire that I can't imagine being without. You helped me realize that the other great love of my life was music and performing. I am a man that Beth is proud to call Dad and I'm actually worthy of that amazing girl's love. I owe you so much for being a big part of making that happen. I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life, so please tell me that I won't have to live out that nightmare." A tear escaped from the corner of his eye and he looked into her eyes and could see that they were glistening.

Rachel finally felt like things were falling into place for them. She had no reservations and refused to hold back her feelings any longer. "Noah, deep down in my heart I knew that you didn't have malicious intentions behind holding on to the letter for so long. People kept reminding me, but there are still parts of the old me, who is used to being on the defensive with people, that wouldn't let me believe it until I heard you say it out loud. Watching you transform from a bully to a mature man and father has been the single greatest thing in my life. It makes me believe that our purpose is bigger than ourselves and it gives me tangible proof that miracles do exist. You were my first boyfriend and my first real friend. You may not realize it, but you set the bar pretty high and have made it hard for anyone to follow your example. In the brief time that we were together, you showed me what I should be striving for in a relationship and actually made me feel like I deserved to set my standards that high. You've made me realize that I deserve someone who will set aside his ego and choose me like you did when you chose glee over football. You've shown me that it's not about the mistakes someone makes, it's how they conduct themselves after that really counts, like when you realized the error of your ways with me and wholeheartedly apologized for it and actually turned completely around from the way you were with me when we started high school. You sang a song just for me, and you have continued to sing that song to your daughter all these years. My heart melted when she told me that because it felt like you were keeping that memory of us and you being your absolute best alive and passing it on to your daughter. You were my protector in high school and you didn't take advantage of my insecurities or vulnerabilities. You've shown me that I need a leading man in my life, someone who can keep up with me and showcase me in the best way possible. You are that man, Noah. Those standards you set in high school? They ruined relationships for me because I was unconsciously comparing everyone to you. All these years, I was waiting to find someone who was just as good as you, and I've finally realized it's not going to happen because you are it for me."

A feeling of relief washed over Noah's heart as he listened to her words. He laid his forehead against hers and said, "You're it for me too, babe." He leaned in and pressed his lips up against hers. It wasn't an intense, passionate kiss like the ones you see in the movies, because there'd be plenty of time for that later. This kiss was gentle and sweet, reacquainting them and welcoming each other back home.

* * *

A.N. - Don't worry, this one's not over just yet


	9. Chapter 9

Hey everyone...I know it seems like I forgot about this one, but really my life decided to throw more crazy at me. I hope you like this one. I had a lot of fun writing it.

Leave a review if you like what you read...they make my day.

* * *

They gently pulled away from each other and Noah just took a minute to stare at the woman he'd loved all these years in disbelief. He had himself convinced that he would never see this day, and all they would ever have was one week in high school.

Rachel was stunned herself. Did she really break all her rules and come running across the country for a boy? It's like everything had come full circle. Noah was the one who held back all those years afraid that he would take a wrong step somewhere, just like how she lived most of her life. She was the one who decided to throw convention and practicality out the window, just like he did when he was a rebel. In high school, they were at opposite ends of the spectrum. She was the good girl, he was the badass. She excelled at everything she did, he had made avoiding schoolwork and responsibility an art form. Over the years they slowly made their way closer to each other on the spectrum and here they were, twelve years later meeting somewhere in the middle.

Noah was still staring down at her in disbelief. "Please tell me this isn't a dream. You really flew across the country and you're here right now in my arms."

"Oh, it's real all right. Santana has been on my case all week about moving out here. I've just been waiting to see if there was something more than Hollywood waiting here for me."

"How about my future, my family, my hopes and my dreams? Is that enough to get you to stay?"

"Nope…" Noah felt his heart stop. "but _our_ future, _our_ family, _our_ hopes and _our_ dreams are more than enough."

The relief was apparent on his face and he let out a chuckle. "Well, I want to make sure we do it right this time. I know it seems like we're way past this, but would you let me take you out on a proper date? I realized while telling the story for the second time that we never actually went on a date."

She laughed to herself at the cuteness he was exuding at this moment, but she had to admit that she liked that he was taking this so seriously. It meant that he was in this for real. All of a sudden, she felt like she was back in junior high getting asked out on a first date. "Why I would love to go out with you, Noah Puckerman."

"I'm going to make this a date you'll never forget. Nothing but the best for my girl." He smiled as he pulled her into a hug. He looked down at his watch. It was 3 o'clock in the morning, and he should have been tired from the long trip and the time difference, but he was so full of energy.

Rachel wasn't the least bit tired either. She wanted to hold on to this night for as long as she possibly could. "Are you tired? Because I'm so wound up right now that I can't sleep."

"I can't sleep either. I just want to let it all sink in. I'm not ready to let this night go just yet. There's a killer view of the sunrise from our backyard. Would you want to sit out on the back patio with me and watch it?"

"That sounds absolutely amazing."

"Wait here one second. I'll be right back."

He raced upstairs and grabbed a blanket and came back down and led her to the backyard, dusting off the double chaise lounge before they both sat down. It was still a bit chilly and they snuggled under the blanket and just spent the rest of what was left of the night talking and catching each other up on what was going on in their lives. The sun rose around 5:30 and sleep overtook them after that.

Beth was really tired from the trip and woke up around 9am. She went to her dad's room to wake him up, and saw that his bed hadn't been slept in. She went downstairs taking a peek in all the rooms trying to figure out where he was. She got to the family room and surveyed the empty room. She looked out to the backyard and saw what looked like a big brown blob on the chaise lounge. She went out to investigate and found her dad and Rachel fast asleep. She was curled up in a ball and he was hugging her protectively. She wanted to scream out in joy realizing that their talk must have gone well, but she just stared at them a little bit longer. Her dad looked peaceful and content, like he finally found the piece of his heart that was missing all these years. Rachel was clutching him in such a way like she was holding onto a lifeline…like her survival depended on it.

She would have loved to let them stay like that, but she couldn't wait any longer to hear how it went so she cleared her throat loudly. At first her dad started stirring, but wasn't quite ready to be coaxed awake yet, so she cleared her throat again, this time much louder. Noah woke up with a start, which startled Rachel. The sun was really bright in their eyes and it took them a minute to get their bearings and realize where they were.

Beth giggled at their confusion and they immediately explained that they just fell asleep out there and that nothing more happened. "Oh, I know you two just slept out here. I just want to know what it all means."

Rachel and Noah looked at each other and Noah decided to take the lead. "Sweetie, Rachel and I decided last night that we want to be together."

Beth's eyes lit up and she started chattering away with excitement. She went up and hugged Rachel really hard and asked, "Does this mean you're moving out here?"

Rachel was relieved that Beth was excited about their relationship. "Yes Honey, this means that Rachel Berry is coming to invade Hollywood."

They all had a good laugh about that. They all knew that there actually was truth to that statement. Noah's stomach started rumbling. "So what do you say we go get some brunch? I'm thinking we should head out to Geoffrey's." He turned to Rachel. "They have the most amazing challah french toast, plus Mike lives right by the restaurant so we can call him and have him join us. I'm sure Santana would drive out and join us as well."

Beth remembered that they were waiting for the news. "Oh, Aunt Santana was with Uncle Mike last night. I was supposed to call her as soon as I found out about you two. I hope she's not mad."

Noah tried calling both hers and Mike's phones. There was no answer. "That's weird…neither of them are answering. Let's just head out to Mike's. I have a key to his place."

They got dressed and got in the car to head out to Mike's beach house. They tried peeking through the windows to see if they could see him and even rang the bell, but there was no answer. Mike and Noah had exchanged keys years ago in case of emergency and it came in handy at times like this. They let themselves in and made their way through his house, stopping dead in their tracks when they got to the family room.

Rachel gasped and Noah had a sly smile on his face as they looked at the inhabitants of the couch. Santana had fallen asleep with Mike's arms wrapped around her. It was such a peaceful sight to see and Rachel surveyed the room to see if there was any evidence that they were drunk. Santana wasn't really known for being affectionate so Rachel immediately came to the conclusion that they (or at least she) must have been drunk. She only saw water bottles and soda lying around and was taken aback by the whole situation. Noah cleared his throat very loudly while smiling like an idiot because in all the years that he had known Mike, women spending the night was not something he remembered ever happening.

They were pretty much dead to the world so Noah picked up a small cushion and threw it at them. Not subtle, but it did the trick. They woke up abruptly, their consciousness of where they were coming to them quickly. It was probably the best night of sleep that they'd ever had and Santana didn't want to give up the feeling that she felt in his arms. She looked up to see what had caused such an abrupt end to their slumber.

She saw Puck and Rachel standing there holding hands. Rachel looked a bit surprised and uncomfortable and was trying very hard not to giggle. Puck had a cocky smirk on his face that made her want to hit him and Beth was just smiling like someone had given her candy. She was ready to get all defensive and start deflecting all the attention off of her and Mike, but she did a double take and noticed that Rachel and Puck were holding hands.

All her plans of deflection were forgotten and she squealed with delight and charged towards Rachel. They started talking in high pitched, excited tones that made it almost impossible for anyone to understand. Mike came over and gave Puck a pat on the back and Puck returned the sentiment with teasing eyes, letting him know that they were going to talk about the way they found them this morning later.

As soon as the girls calmed down, Puck suggested that they all go out to brunch. At the restaurant, Puck let Rachel give them all the details while Santana and Beth gushed at hearing the whole story for the first time. Mike and Puck just kept it simple and stuck to guy talk.

When their food came, Puck raised his glass to propose a toast. "Back in high school, I never would have imagined that I would end up out here. I may not have had any direction or any idea about exactly what I wanted to accomplish, but somehow I got everything in life that I never realized I wanted. I have my best friend and brother from another mother, who has been there for me every step of the way on this journey. I have my favorite ex-girlfriend." He saw the confused look on Rachel's face. "Notice I said ex, baby…you're the current. Anyways, I have my favorite ex-girlfriend, who makes my life more entertaining and is a great person to have in your corner. I have a beautiful daughter, who never ceases to amaze and humble me. And last, but certainly not least, because of all of you, I get a second chance with this gorgeous lady. She's light of my life and the one who always makes me want to be a better man, someone who is worthy of her. At this exact moment in my life, my heart is full and I honestly couldn't ask for anything more. Here's to a lifetime of love and support. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rachel and Santana were dabbing at their eyes with tissues and Beth got up to hug her dad. It really snuck up on all of them, but somehow these unlikely people became a family.

The following day was Sunday which was also the day of Rachel and Noah's first official date. In the spirit of doing things right, he insisted that they not move too fast, which meant that even though Rachel was moving to LA, she wouldn't be living with Noah and Beth. He wanted them to do things as normally as possible and not have things move so fast, so she would be living with Santana for the time being.

Noah had an amazing date planned for the two of them. They were starting off at the Getty Villa, which had amazing oceanside views and a museum with beautiful artwork. They would have lunch there and then head out to the Hollywood Hills where they would go hiking and then horseback riding on a trail leading up to the iconic Hollywood sign. He prepared a special snack to take up with them and have while they spread a blanket out near the sign as dusk began to set in. They would watch the sunset together as they rode their horses back down the trail and made their way to the Griffith Park Observatory, where they would have a candlelit dinner under the stars. It took some doing and some of Santana's connections, but if all went well they would have amazing memories to hold on to for the rest of their lives. Santana was absolutely stoked about his plans for their first date, feeling that it was the beginning of an epic fairytale. She didn't believe in fairytales until she saw how their love story was unfolding. She hoped that one day she'd have the same thing happen to her.

Beth was spending the day with Mike so she wouldn't be at home alone for such a long period of time. He was taking her to Magic Mountain for the day and she was stoked because she was finally brave enough to try all the big rides. Santana was at the office since she'd been taking half days to spend time with Rachel. Her mind wasn't fully on work though because she was thinking about the perfect day Rachel and Puck were having and Mike and Beth were being all kinds of adorable and sending her pictures every 15 minutes documenting all the fun that they were having without her. They had sent her pictures of them on the rides, making funny faces and screaming their heads off. There were others of them sharing cotton candy and snow cones and some hilarious ones of them trying on goofy hats. As she was scrolling through the pictures on her phone she felt something tugging at her heart. She absolutely adored Beth and wanted more than anything to have a kid as cool as her someday. She hadn't slept well last night and she remembered thinking that her bed just didn't feel right. She missed the comfort that she felt when she slept in Mike's arms.

Beth and Mike had just gotten off the Superman ride when Beth's phone rang. "Aunt Santana! Did you get all our pictures? I wish you could be here with us."

"Where are you guys? What are you doing?"

"We just got off the Superman ride. It was awesome. I think we're going to stop and get a frozen lemonade."

"No need to do that…I already got you one."

Beth turned and saw Santana walking towards them. Her jaw dropped in disbelief and she ran over to her at record pace. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to work."

"Well, your pictures were just too cute and too tempting to resist. I can't let you have all the fun without me."

Beth noticed that Mike's face lit up considerably now that Santana was there. She had known Mike for years now and Santana had only been in her life for the past few months, but she noticed that he was a lot more animated, but also a bit more self-conscious when she was around. Santana had always been loud and outspoken, but ever since they found them sleeping together on the couch yesterday, she was quiet and thoughtful.

"We're about to go on Goliath. Uncle Mike promised that we'd only ride the biggest and best today. Are you going to go on with us?"

"Of course I am. These rides are nothing. Spending a day with me, however, has been known to be pretty thrilling…I hope you're up to the challenge."

Beth noticed that the last sentence was directed towards Mike. It was really cute because she could tell that he wasn't used to bantering. He just put on a shy smile and directed his gaze downward, not really sure what to say, although Beth could tell that he was really happy that Santana was there now.

They spent the rest of the day making their way through all the rides on their list. A lot of the rides only let you ride in pairs, so Santana and Mike took turns riding with Beth and she noticed that there were a lot of stolen glances between them.

After their thirst for thrill rides was satisfied, they decided to get some dinner and head home. Beth was feeling pretty confident in her matchmaking abilities since things with her dad and Rachel were going so well, and she decided to tap the potential that she saw between Mike and Santana.

"I wonder how Dad and Rachel are doing. He seemed really excited about their date today."

Santana was wondering the same thing. She was actually a little bit envious of Rachel right now. Puck had an absolutely perfect day planned for them. "I'm pretty sure that they're doing just fine. Your dad had an amazing day planned for them."

"I thought that their story was just epic and amazing. All this time, they've been in each others' hearts and minds and now they're finally together. I know that not everyone gets that in life. Sometimes life surprises you and love just sneaks up on you when you're least expecting it."

All of a sudden, Santana felt like she was a million miles away. There was no way she could categorize her feelings as love at this point, but she definitely felt like something was sneaking up on her. Mike was so not the type of guy that she normally went for, and he was pretty much her exact opposite, but for some reason things made sense between them and worked. They had kept in touch regularly since high school and he was the only steady guy in her life. Who knew that one day she'd look up and finally see what was right in front of her?

Beth noticed the look on Santana's face and knew that she had gotten to her. Phase one complete.

Things were going extremely well on Rachel and Noah's first date. It exceeded every expectation she ever had. Noah just enjoyed seeing her this way and made a vow to make up for all the years they missed out on. Today was an excellent start to the rest of their lives.

Rachel was quite impressed with his attention to detail. At the museum, he had picked out the paintings and sculptures that he knew she would love and made sure that he pointed them out to her. He arranged for the restaurant at the museum to make her a special lunch that he picked out, and for dinner he wanted her to just break from routine and splurge and the whole meal was designed with a theme of indulgence. As they were diving into dessert, an amazing flourless chocolate torte with a fantastic vanilla cream sauce, she decided to ask him about something that had been nagging in her mind.

"Noah, I just want to say that today has been absolutely amazing. I don't want to put a damper on things, but I'm just a little bit confused as to how things are right now. I thought that I pretty much made my feelings clear about you and about us. I just don't understand why you insist on pushing me away and have me living at Santana's."

She was being strong in asking this, but he detected a bit of hurt in her voice. He put his fork down and pushed his dessert aside so he could reach across the table and take her hand. "Baby, this is not about me pushing you away. I meant it when I said that you were it for me and if it were completely up to me, I would have married you yesterday, but things changed for me when I got a second chance to be a father to Beth. She was raised by a single mom and had never had a strong male influence in her life. I look at her and I see her beauty and her innocence and I will do everything in my power to protect that. I've read tons of books on parenting over the years and I've come to realize that a girl's relationship with her father is very instrumental in how her future relationships with men will be. I want her to always know that she's special and that she deserves nothing less than to be treated with love and respect and it goes beyond how I treat her in our relationship. She needs to see it in my relationship with you as well. I want her to see how a good relationship should be, so that's why I'm insisting that we take things slow. Besides, you deserve to be courted. I know it's old-fashioned, but all those love stories that we read about in literary classics are based on courting. These days, there's too much emphasis on sex and things are hurried along. I used to be that guy and I like to think that I'm better than that now. After all I've done to you and all that we've been through, you deserve the best of me."

"I was all ready to fight you on this and tell you that you were being silly, but that was the most romantic thing I've ever heard in my life. Things have always moved so fast in my life that I'm used to it, but there's something idyllic about slowing down and taking our time in this. Even though we spent so much time apart, I'm glad that we did because that time has made you into the absolute perfect man for me. I didn't think it was possible, but I just fell even more in love with you."

"You've had my heart ever since I sang the words, 'Where it began'. It's because of you that I am the man that I am today."

"For the first time in my life, I'm okay with not being in complete control of the future. I know that you will take good care of me, just like you always do. Beth is going to have an amazing life and marry an amazing man because of you, and our son is going to grow up to be an incredible man who we will be extremely proud of."

"Our son? You're already looking that far ahead?"

"Our future, our family, our hopes, and our dreams, remember?"


	10. Chapter 10

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in what seems like forever. I just got back from an awesome vacation and got to see Glee Live! in New York with my awesome Pucklebitches.

Happy birthday Baby Gin! Thank you so much for being an inspiration to me and keeping my love for PR strong even though I'm not feeling the love for the show atm. This story is for you. Thank you for all your input and praise (even if I don't think I deserve it most of the time). You're the best sister from another mister in the world 3.

* * *

Mike brought Beth home after dinner and she was so exhausted that she went straight up to bed. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone in the house while she was sleeping, so he stayed in the family room and waited for Puck to get home. Puck walked in the door about half an hour later his mind still trying to come down from the clouds. If heaven was a place on earth, Puck was in it the whole time he was with Rachel.

"How was your date, man?"

"It was awesome dude. It couldn't have gone any better."

"Good. I'm glad. Beth and I had a really good day. Magic Mountain was a blast, especially when Santana showed up after lunch."

Puck was very intrigued that Santana had joined them because she made a big deal about having to go into work today. "I thought she was working today."

"I guess she changed her mind. I think we drove her crazy because we were sending her pictures like every fifteen minutes of all the fun that we were having."

"Interesting…do you think it may have had anything to do with the fact that we found you two spooning on the couch yesterday?"

Mike blushed and couldn't look Puck in the eyes. It wasn't often that he got embarrassed like this. "Nothing happened though. We just fell asleep."

"First, in all this time I've known you, I've never known a girl to spend the night at your house. Second, Santana isn't the touchy-feely type. I find it curious that these two long-standing traditions with you two were broken in the same night. Maybe you two didn't have sex, but you can't tell me that nothing happened. Where I'm sitting, something definitely happened."

"You're right man. I definitely do feel something for her. I have no idea what this all means because it's almost impossible to know where you stand with her. She avoids attachments like the plague and I'm nothing like the guys that she's dated in the past. Usually the guys are more like her, I'm pretty much the exact opposite of everything that she looks for in a guy."

"Don't you see? That's why it could be brilliant. Sometimes being with someone who's similar to you just doesn't work. I actually think that you two balance each other. You just need some confidence. You're the best guy I know and Beth adores you. Santana would be lucky to have you."

Rachel came home from their date with her head in the clouds. Noah's insistence on courting her brought her back to when she was fifteen, which was a time when she would find herself getting swept up in a Jane Austen novel…only this time she was the heroine. She felt like sort of a cross between Elizabeth Bennet and Anne Elliot, the heroines of her two favorite Austen novels. Noah was Darcy to her Elizabeth, someone who challenged her in ways she never imagined and he also was Wentworth to her Anne, the boy she fell in love with in high school and came rushing back into her life after all those years. She also couldn't help but notice that it was a letter and confessions of true feelings that brought them back together, just like a letter brought Anne and Wentworth back together. It was so hard not to get too far ahead of herself, even though she knew that they would have an epic ending just like those couples did in their books. She decided that it was worth it to do things the right way and just enjoy the perks of being courted.

She walked up to Santana's condo and put her key in the lock. She noticed that the lights were still on, so she figured that Santana was up and waiting for all the details. She found Santana in the backyard, holding a glass of wine and looking out over the canyon that was just beyond the yard. The stars were gorgeous tonight and for once the sky in LA was relatively clear and smog-free. She didn't try to be quiet, figuring that Santana would be all over her hounding her for details. She had brought a glass with her from the kitchen and sat down on the lounge chair next to her friend, pouring a glass for herself and wondering what had her friend in such a pensive mood.

"Hey San, how was work today?"

Santana was jolted back from her interlude. "Fine."

The one word answer shocked Rachel. Santana was almost always a chatterbox, not always willing to filter her thoughts. "Is everything okay? It seems like you're not even here."

All her thoughts and feelings were swirling around in her mind and she couldn't seem to get it to slow down, but she had to voice them otherwise she'd drive herself crazy. "Rach, how did you know that Puck was the one?"

"Well, it wasn't like there was a neon sign flashing above his head. In high school, I kept him at arm's length because of our histories and our desire to pursue our dreams, but looking back, I sort of let him take up residence in my heart without even realizing it. In terms of my love life, there was always something in the back of my mind reminding me that whatever I tried to have with anyone else would never measure up to the standard that he set in high school. Seeing him again in New York was really the first time I knew for sure that he was the one. It was like all the tension that I held in my body just melted away and for the first time in my life, I felt truly safe. I guess you could say that it was like coming home."

Coming home…that was what it felt like when she slept in Mike's arms. She refused to let herself go down that road though. Puck and Rachel's love story took years to unfold, so there was no way that what she was feeling was love. She shook those thoughts from her head and remembered that Rachel had just come home from her perfect date. "So how was the date?"

Rachel had stars in her eyes all over again. She and Santana gushed over the details about how amazingly perfect it was. "So did you get an answer to your question? About why he insists on you living with me, I mean. I'm not complaining or anything, I just thought it was a bit weird considering that you two seemed like you were one step away from the altar."

"It actually wasn't weird at all and it wasn't him pushing me away like I thought he was." She went on to tell her what he said about his relationship with Beth and Santana's heart melted for the third time that weekend.

"Oh my God, that Puckerman charm is going to be the death of me. He and Beth keep making me look like a puddle of goo. This is not good for my reputation. All of a sudden I'm having these things resembling feelings and I'm not sure I like it."

Rachel knew that there had to be something going on for her to mention feelings because if it was just about her and Noah, she wouldn't be so emotional or worked up about it. Plus, she'd been dying to ask her about Mike. "San, is everything okay? Does this have anything to do with how we found you yesterday morning? I swear I was convinced that you had to have been drunk or something."

There was no point in hiding it anymore. "I can't lie to you. I'm really confused about how things went down this weekend and what it all means. I have never spent the night with a guy and not have it be about sex, but I can also say that I've never felt so comfortable in a man's embrace. You know me…I don't really do the physical affection thing with anyone, so it was strange to me to have that be the only thing we shared and all it left me with was this feeling of dissatisfaction because I just want more of that."

Rachel could see the tears streaming down her cheeks and she moved over to her lounge chair to give her a hug. "Oh honey, I think that you've finally gotten to that place in your life where your career and lifestyle just aren't enough anymore. I think it has a lot to do with Beth coming into your life and seeing Noah and I come together like this. It's natural. I hit my limit recently too. I just knew that all the success I've enjoyed in my career wasn't enough anymore. You want that person to share all the good with. That person who will not only stick around during the bad times, but will also be your rock when things are crazy. You want the guy who will throw himself between you and danger without hesitating. I think this realization is just all so new and you just need to let things sink in. Personally, I would love it if Mike was that guy for you. You deserve a great guy like him, but it will probably take time for you to figure things out. Just promise me that you won't go all Santana and push him away because you're scared of the unknown."

Scared of the unknown…Rachel's words were repeating over and over in her head just before she went to sleep that night. The thing about her relationships in the past was that she always knew that they had an expiration date, even before they started. Whether that expiration date was 24 hours or 3 months, she never knew, but she had never gone into a relationship thinking that it could be forever. She liked it that way though. She liked being in control of the relationship. She didn't take rejection well so she was always on the offensive and as soon as she felt that a guy may be pulling away, she would pull away first to protect her heart. She couldn't start something with Mike with this mindset. She knew that she was sort of the odd person out if this relationship were to tank. Santana loved being in Rachel's, Puck's and Beth's lives and she knew that if things didn't work out with Mike she would either be slowly pushed out of the group, or she would choose to stay away. Puck and Mike were practically brothers and that would never change, and Rachel and Beth would be tied to Mike through Puck, so she could possibly lose everyone. There were too many "what ifs" running through her head and she couldn't wrap her mind around it, and eventually exhaustion set in.

She woke up not feeling any better than when she went to bed. She couldn't decide if what she was feeling was worth risking everything, especially since she had no inclination of how he was feeling about things. The best thing for her to do was to throw herself into work and try to see if things would pass.

Rachel was worried about her friend. She knew how hard it was to come to grips with the realization of feelings so strong. She could tell that Santana had never truly been in love because she had spent her life pushing those feelings away. Rachel knew that she wasn't going to see her friend for the next few days because her pattern was to throw herself into her work and try to ignore whatever it was that was bothering her.

Mike was having trouble concentrating on his life as well. Noah's words kept echoing in his mind. He had never been impulsive in his life…it just wasn't in his nature. His parents were soft-spoken, conservative Chinese immigrants who put an emphasis on stability and security. He had already fought hard to pursue a career in dance instead of going into medical, law, or business school as was typical of most Asians with his upbringing. This conservatism also translated into his love life. He had always dated girls that he knew his parents would approve of, which were quiet, smart Asian girls who would be a good wife to him and a good mother to their future grandkids. Santana didn't quite fit his parents' bill. As well meaning as his parents were, he knew that they were wrong when they tried to push him into a career he didn't want and he fought hard to live his dream. Santana was everything that he was looking for in a partner and more. He just wished that he knew how she felt because with Santana, it was pretty much impossible to tell.

Noah and Rachel were both on cloud nine. Their first date couldn't have gone better, and they got into a rhythm with their communication. They had been apart for years, but things fell into place as if they'd never spent a day away from each other. There was, however, a disagreement about how much time they would spend courting. Noah wanted to spend at least a year like this, and Rachel wanted it to be six months. Their reasons for wanting the different timelines were valid, but for some reason, they couldn't seem to come to an agreement about it. They decided to table the discussion and revisit it later and just enjoy being with each other. Beth was enamored with the story of their first date and thought it was really romantic that they were taking the time to slow down and enjoy things. She gained even more respect for her dad for his reasons for wanting to do things right with Rachel. It made her feel good to feel so important and loved by him.

Now that her dad and Rachel were happy together, she decided to focus her efforts on Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana. She was in the unique position of having been the only one to spend time with them together. She knew that her dad and Rachel had talked to them both separately, but they couldn't possibly have seen things the way that she did.

"Dad, what do you think is going to happen with Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana?"

"Well, that's really up to them, honey. I've done my share of meddling." He looked over at Rachel with a knowing look. "And so has Rachel. It's better if we just let them figure it out on their own."

She could tell that her dad was not going to be of any help in this matter. She waited until she and Rachel were alone before recruiting her. "Rachel, we need to do something. I know them. They're both so stubborn that they'd rather suffer and long for each other in silence than take a chance. You didn't see them together. I know that they like each other. They don't seem like they'd go together, but when they are together, it's magic, just like you and Dad."

Rachel was slightly torn at the moment. She knew that Noah wanted her to stay out of it, but Beth made her point so convincingly. "Beth, I think that I just need to stay out of it and just be a friend to Santana right now. That being said…I don't approve of an outright matchmaking plan, but helping them see the potential, that's a completely different story. I could probably turn a blind eye to that. I know you want them together as much as I do and I know you're resourceful enough to do it with a hand of subtlety. But as far as your dad is concerned, I know absolutely nothing."

Beth's face lit up with excitement and joy. "Deal."


	11. Chapter 11

Hello faithful readers! Thanks for sticking with this story...I'm back in the swing of things, so updates should be coming more regularly. I hope you like this next installment.

* * *

Beth was excited that she had Rachel's unofficial blessing to work her magic. She knew that Mike had to have said something to her dad and that Santana had told Rachel what was going on. Having learned to read her dad's moods and facial expressions, she knew that Mike definitely had feelings for Santana, otherwise her dad would have said something to the effect that he didn't feel that way about her, but instead he had said not to meddle, which means there must be something there to meddle with.

The vibe Beth had gotten from Rachel was that Santana was struggling with coming to terms with her feelings. Before things had gotten complicated, Santana had been around the house a lot because she was wherever Rachel was. Ever since things had started unraveling, Beth noticed that she started pulling away, which made Beth think that something must have changed in order for her to change her behavior. The adults in her life were surprisingly bad at communication with each other. They always made things so much harder than it had to be.

If Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana would just stop being silly and tell each other how they were feeling, they would realize that they wanted the same thing. Instead they were both assuming that the other couldn't possibly be feeling the same way because on paper, they didn't seem to fit. They were almost exact opposites of each other, but that's the funny thing about relationships…feelings and chemistry were always wild cards and couldn't always be categorized or put on paper. A lot of times it defied logic, but she had seen what they were like together and she knew that the right thing to do was to give them a little push in the right direction. She was just going to have to dig deep and find some of the magic that she used on her dad and Rachel.

A whole month went by and Beth had gotten nowhere. Mike and Santana had become experts at dodging each other and making sure that they didn't spend time together at all, which made it nearly impossible for Beth to push them together without it feeling too forced. Her dad and Rachel were kind of in a weird place too. Their first few weeks officially together couldn't have gone any better, but Rachel started to feel the urge to settle even more than she already did. She had left behind everything in New York and as she was making the arrangements to move all her stuff cross country and was in the process of switching over her focus to Hollywood and the west coast, she was beginning to feel more and more unsettled. Instead of feeling like she was coming home, she still felt like she was on vacation because she was staying with Santana, and she knew it wasn't permanent. At Noah and Beth's house, she still felt like a bit of an outsider because they had established routines and traditions that she was still learning about. She really admired his reasons for wanting to go slow and do things right, but her need for security was slowly taking over and she was starting to feel impatient because she wanted her life with Noah and Beth to truly begin.

Summer came to a close and Beth could feel that the excitement of their new relationship was starting to fade. Her dad seemed pretty content with the way things were, but she could sense Rachel's discontent. She decided to confront her dad about it. Friday had traditionally been father/daughter time in the Puckerman house, but ever since Rachel came to town, she had been included in this ritual. Beth politely requested that this week it be just her and her dad, and Rachel happily obliged, secretly relieved that she was getting a bit of a break. She and Santana were going to have a girls' night instead.

Noah was concerned that there was something wrong because as far as he was concerned, including Rachel in their Friday night ritual was a welcome change. "Honey, are you okay? I thought that things were going okay with Rachel being here on Friday nights."

"Oh, I'm fine Daddy…and I love having Rachel here with us, but I think she really needed a break."

Noah was taken aback by her words. He hadn't sensed that Rachel was uncomfortable with anything. "Why do you say that? Things have been going well."

"Daddy, I think that you've created some tunnel vision about this whole thing. I know that you're holding back on completely committing to this relationship because of me. I love that you want to set a good example for me, but can I just say that you're already my hero? You are the best man I know and I've learned over the years that you would never do anything to hurt me and that you would protect me at all costs. Losing my mom was really hard, and I got through it pretty well because of you, but I'm not that little girl anymore. I'm a teenager now and I understand a lot more than you think about relationships. Your life has been focused on me for so long that I think you've forgotten that taking care of yourself is a part of taking care of me. You're at your best when you're happy and the happiest I've ever seen you was when you decided to be with Rachel, but I'm afraid that you might be messing that up. Rachel gave up her whole life to be with us, and I can sense that she's getting impatient. She wants to be with you as much as you want to be with her and I don't want to be the reason why you're keeping her at arm's length."

"Do you really think that she's getting impatient? We talked about how important it was for me to set a good example for you."

"I know you did and at the time you were both basking in the newness of your relationship, but I don't think she realized how hard it would be down the line. I know her. She would never interfere with our relationship, which is why she's been playing the part dutifully, but I'm telling you that it's time to take things to the next level. You both deserve it and I promise that I completely understand. It would take something huge and very drastic for you to be knocked from hero status in my heart. As a matter of fact, if you mess this up after I've worked so hard to get you together, I will have a very hard time forgiving you."

Again, Noah was so impressed with how astute his daughter was. She was definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. "Honey, I guess I've been getting carried away with my protector role and I didn't realize how much it could affect my relationship with Rachel. I know how hard losing your mom was, and when I took over care for you I made a promise that you would never have to worry about losing another parent. I guess I thought that you might feel like I was putting Rachel ahead of you if I moved too fast. I'm sorry I just assumed things about your feelings instead of talking to you."

"It's okay Dad. I sometimes forget that you're actually pretty new to the dad team. You're doing so well for someone who has had to pick it up unexpectedly. I just don't want you to sacrifice your heart for some noble reason when it's not necessary. There's room for both of us in your heart, right?"

"Honey, there's more than enough room. You two, along with Grandma and Aunt Abby and Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana are the most important people in my life. I'd be hopelessly lost without all of you there."

She hadn't thought about Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana in a while because she was so worried about her dad and Rachel. She saw her shot, so she took it. "Daddy, about Uncle Mike and Aunt Santana…I miss them. They haven't been the same for a long time now. It's like they can't exist in the same room at the same time together anymore. You didn't get to see them together. They were magic, just like you and Rachel. Isn't there anything we can do?"

"I didn't want to meddle, but their situation has crossed way over into ridiculous, so I think that it's our duty as their family to make it right…what do you say?" He saw the gleam in her eye and he winked at her. "I probably shouldn't be encouraging this kind of behavior, but you've shown that you can be responsible and subtle about it. Actually, you could probably teach me a thing or two about relationships." They hugged to seal the deal and got to work on their plans to get these two relationships back on track. Putting the Puckerman resourcefulness and charm together was going to prove to be a powerful and effective combination.

Rachel and Santana's girls' night was the break that they both needed. The whirlwind of a summer that they had along with the fall season getting started had kept them both very busy. Santana had officially signed Rachel as a client and was true to her word that she would take care of her and make the transition from Broadway to Hollywood as seamless as she could. They had gone to a spa and left their phones at home so that they could completely relax and enjoy the pampering that the spa was famous for. As they were getting their full-body massages, Rachel decided to take advantage of an unsuspecting Santana. "San, what has been going on these past few months? You've hardly spent any time with us and when I do see you, it's all business. I know I've been spending a lot of time with Noah and Beth, but we do still live together. I miss having you around."

"I've just been really busy with work. I know you, Berry…You want everything to be perfect and seamless and that's not exactly an easy job."

She didn't completely believe her friend. It was true that Rachel had high expectations, but she knew it was just an excuse to avoid Mike and her feelings. "I'll admit that I'm not exactly low-maintenance when it comes to these matters, but I don't want it to come at your expense. You are so much more to me than just a PR rep. I will hire more people if it's too big of a job for you to handle on your own."

Santana knew she was grasping at straws with that excuse. She was afraid of exactly this…someone calling her bluff. There was no use trying to cover with Rachel. Besides, she needed someone to discuss all her crazy thoughts with. "Okay, you got me. Work is just a convenient excuse to stay away, but if I stay still too long, then my thoughts and feelings take over and consume me and I just can't deal with the consequences right now. I'm at a point where I can't seem to go forward and I can't go back…so I'm stuck."

"I don't understand. What's holding you back?"

"You're the only one who knows that I have feelings for Mike. I've never had a relationship with so much riding on it. I've tried to get over the feelings, but they just aren't going away. Moving forward with them scares me to death. What if he doesn't have the same feelings I do? What if we did start something and it didn't work out? I've sized up the situation. I'm the expendable one here. Mike and Puck are basically brothers and if it didn't work out, I'd either be forced out of the group or I would leave because it would be uncomfortable or hurt too much. You and Beth are tied to Puck forever, so there would be no room left for me. I can't deal with the thought of losing you forever."

"Wow, sweetie that's a lot to deal with. It almost seems like you already know what's going to happen, but last time I checked you weren't a known psychic. I completely understand your fears, but I also think that the way this is going to play out isn't set in stone. There is so much that you're presuming and assuming about all this that it's dizzying. Let's keep it simple…you have feelings for Mike. There, you've said it out loud and that's usually the first and hardest step. Now we just have to figure out where to go from here. I strongly suggest you talk to him and try to figure out where his head is."

"I think that you're wrong about admitting my feelings being the hardest step…having the courage to go and talk to him about it, that's the hardest step. I think I'm going to need some time before going for it though. You understand, right?"

Rachel's heart went out to her friend. Baby steps were better than standing still. "I do. And please remember that I'm here for you, whatever you need."

Santana went back to being her crazy busy self after that night. Rachel promised that she wouldn't meddle, so she just sat back and hoped that her friend would gather the courage to take the next step. Things between her and Noah got better, and it was clear that he was taking steps to move their relationship forward. Rachel was now spending the night at their house at least three times a week, and while most of her stuff was still at Santana's, she did move some stuff into their house. She knew that it would take some time to get everything she wanted, but she knew that it was worth the wait.


	12. Chapter 12

I'm really excited for you all to read this one. It's probably my favorite chapter so far. Keep reading and reviewing...I really love hearing what you think...Thank you so much to those who take the time to leave me reviews they really make my day!

* * *

Noah and Beth were amazing as a scheming team. Beth was teaching him about how important communication was. She helped him to drop his noble hero complex long enough to make sure that he didn't sacrifice everything he had worked so hard to get by getting in his own way. Time was flying faster than he anticipated, and he and Beth were busy trying to keep their plans quiet and unexpected. He and Beth decided to give Rachel more of a foothold in their lives over the next couple of months so that she could move more towards feeling settled. They wanted to do their best to help her, but still keep her at a far enough distance so that they could truly surprise her with their plans.

It was now November and they were making plans to go back to Lima for Thanksgiving. Ever since he moved out to California, Noah had always made the trip back home for this holiday to see his mom and sister. Ever since his dad left, he was the man of the house and since he outgrew his rebellious teenage behavior he had taken on the role as head of the Puckerman family…a role which he took very seriously. Thanksgiving was around the time that his dad had taken off, so the first few years after that, the holiday was either ignored or despised. Noah had worked hard over the next few years to create wonderful memories for his mom and sister, and by the time Beth came into their lives, it had become a cherished time for his family and their favorite holiday.

As was their tradition, Noah and Beth went to Lima ten days before Thanksgiving and were going to stay a full two weeks there. Noah thought it important to keep tradition and pulling Beth out of school for that time was never a problem as she was as smart as a whip and had no trouble keeping up with the schoolwork she missed. It also gave them plenty of time to lay the groundwork for their projects.

Rachel was going to join them in Lima as well, but couldn't take as much time off as they did, so she was coming in the day before Thanksgiving and would come back with them the Sunday after. Santana was already homesick at the thought of the people she had come to know as family leaving her for the holiday, so she decided to book a flight back home as well. Rachel had told Noah in passing that Santana was also going to be in town and asked if she could be included in the Puckerman family festivities. Noah immediately agreed to include her and then jumped at the chance to help her and Mike move things along in their relationship.

It didn't take much for Noah to convince Mike to come home for the holidays as well. Noah figured that he'd have to make sure that Mike's attention was diverted from the fact that Noah wanted him to come home so badly, so he let Mike in on his plans regarding Rachel. It worked like a charm because Mike got so excited for his friend that he didn't even notice when Noah pretty much insisted on taking care of his travel plans for him. Noah had taken advantage of the fact that Santana adored Beth and he put his daughter up to using her charm to find out the details of Santana's trip so that he could book the same flights for Mike and arrange for them to sit together. They had become experts at avoiding each other that Beth figured that making them sit together for about 4 hours with no escape was the perfect way to get them to finally talk about how they were feeling. Beth had this instinctive ability to read people and she assured her dad that this was a good move. Since Beth had done so well with him and Rachel, he decided to fully put his trust in her on this one.

Mike was the one who brought Noah and Beth to the airport for their flight and he couldn't have been more excited for the two of them. Puck was finally going to get everything that he's been wanting since high school and he was working on making it such a romantic surprise for Rachel that he couldn't help feeling honored to be let in on the whole thing. Seeing that his friend had never given up on his dreams gave him hope for his own future. After all the stress of getting through this surprise was over, he wasn't going to hold back anymore. Santana had gotten to him in a way that no one else ever had. Every minute that they spent avoiding each other felt like a waste. He felt like he was suspended in some level of hell because he wasn't moving forward or back…he was just stuck and he didn't want the rest of his life to be like that. He was going to let Puck and Rachel have their moment in the sun, but after that, he was going to focus all his efforts on convincing Santana to give them a chance. They could worry about their families later. The only thing that mattered was how they felt about each other. There was the chance that she didn't feel the same way, but he couldn't live the rest of his life without at least giving it a try.

Ruth and Abby were eagerly waiting for Noah and Beth to arrive. Thanksgiving was always an anticipated time for the Puckerman family, but this year was especially exciting because the Berrys were joining them for the first of what felt like many years to come. Ruth was overjoyed that her son was finally finding his happiness.

They got back to the house and after Noah and Beth got settled, they sat down to dinner. Noah's place was at the head of the table and it had been ever since junior year in high school, when he started to turn his life around and he started working hard to fill the void that was there as a result of his father leaving. He looked around at the three women sitting at the table, catching up and laughing with each other. He didn't want to interrupt the revelry so he waited for a natural pause in the conversation before speaking. "I have something I want to discuss with all of you." Ruth and Abby immediately turned towards him with inquisitive looks on their faces and Beth just looked at him with excitement. "As you know, Rachel and I are together now and she's moved out the California to be with Beth and me. Nothing about our relationship in the past has been conventional, so we agreed to take it slow at first so that we could get reacquainted with each other after all that time apart. I also wanted to take it slow for Beth's sake because I wanted to set a good example for her. Things have since changed and I've talked it over with Beth and I decided that I want to move up my timeline and ask Rachel to marry me."

Beth was completely in shock. She had been under the impression that her dad was going to ask Rachel to move in with them. Noah saw the stunned looks on all of their faces and continued, "I need to know what you all think because you have been the most important women in my life and your opinions and feelings mean a great deal to me."

The tears in Ruth's eyes could no longer be held at bay. She was using her napkin to dab at her eyes and finally found the composure to say what was on her mind. "I can't tell you how happy this news makes me Noah. You've done such a wonderful job of taking care of us all these years and you're so strong and selfless that I worried for a while that you wouldn't find someone to share your life with. I've watched you grow from a confident and happy little boy to a rebellious and cocky teenager to a quietly strong confident young man to a loving and caring father and I couldn't be more proud of you. You've fought so hard to make something of yourself and give of yourself to others that you so richly deserve this happiness. Rachel is a remarkable woman. I remember watching the two of you grow up and the role she played in your maturity. You're just good for each other. I can't think of any two people who are better suited for each other." She moved to hug her son and Abby and Beth joined in.

Noah breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Your approval means so much to me. There's no way I could do this without your support."

Beth and her dad exchanged sly smiles. They were both getting exactly what they wanted.

Ruth didn't waste any time getting things going with the proposal. She wanted to know every detail. Noah had asked her if she would go ring shopping with him, but she did him one better. They went up to her room where she pulled out an old velvet box. Inside was the most gorgeous ring that he had ever seen. It was a two-carat round cut diamond with alternating turquoise and emerald gemstones decorating the platinum band. He was mesmerized by how the stones all shone brilliantly together and he could just imagine the look on Rachel's face when he gave her this ring. Ruth could see how taken he was with the ring and told him the history behind it. "My grandfather, your great-grandfather, gave this ring to my grandmother when he asked her to marry him. They knew each other growing up in Germany and were teenagers when Hitler came to power. They had liked each other well enough growing up and they probably would have courted and gotten married if the war hadn't forced them apart. When the war ended and they were let out of the concentration camps, they both found themselves returning to their village, the only survivors from either of their families. Your great-grandfather recognized her immediately even though the years of the war had changed her. He didn't waste any time and acknowledged how momentous it was that it was the two of them who survived and that they had found each other back where it all began. He told her exactly what was in his heart and then worked so hard for the next year to get this ring. He wanted to give your great-grandmother a ring that would be worthy of the amazing woman that she was. I would love it if you would give this to this Rachel to symbolize your love."

Noah kept staring at the ring, almost afraid to take it out of the box. Ruth took the initiative and took it out and placed the ring in his fingers. "It's perfect, Ma. I don't think I could have even imagined a ring this amazing. Are you sure you don't want to keep it for yourself?"

"I'm sure. I don't think you realize how epic your love with Rachel is. It's inspiring and a beautiful story because without meaning to or even realizing it, you have touched each other's lives so deeply. You have the kind of love that has made you incredible individuals, and even more incredible together. Plus, I don't think you realize this, but this ring was so meant for you two. The gemstones in the band were the birthstones of your great-grandparents, and they're also yours and Rachel's if I'm not mistaken."

Noah hadn't even considered that detail. He was too entranced by the beauty of the ring to notice details like that. "Well, it's done then. The ring is perfect. Thank you so much Ma." He pulled her into a tight hug and then put the ring back in its box for safe keeping.

The next few days were spent planning every detail of Thanksgiving dinner, which was going to be at the Puckerman house. Ruth, Abby, and Beth wanted everything to be perfect because they knew that was the day that Noah was planning to ask Rachel to marry him.

As a father, he knew that he would want whoever wanted to marry Beth in the future to have the decency and respect for him to ask for his blessing before asking her, so he made arrangements to have dinner with Rachel's dads.

Matthew and Adam Berry had always doted on their daughter. Some would say they spoiled her, but they saw it as providing her with opportunities. They were so proud of her and all that she had accomplished in her life, but the one thing that they felt lacking in her life was a partner. They knew that she could be quite a handful and that it would take someone very special to be able to keep up with and handle her while still being able to challenge her.

They had met her boyfriends in high school…Finn, Jesse, and Noah and they had always thought that she never gave Noah enough of a chance. Finn was just nowhere near the level that her perfect mate needed to be. Jesse was too much like her. There is only room for one diva in a relationship and they both seemed to want to fill that role. It didn't surprise them in the least that neither of those relationships worked out. Noah was the one they wished she had given more time to. They grew up in Temple together, but drifted apart during junior high and the first two years of high school, dated for like a week and then slowly worked their way back to each other as friends. Over the years, they took notice of how special they were to each other and secretly hoped that they would someday have the courage to let go and take the next step in their relationship. They were ecstatic that they found each other again after all these years and that Rachel had risked everything for the chance at love. They just knew that it would pay off in a big way.

Noah wasn't entirely sure how Rachel's dads felt about him. They knew all about their history and past and he wasn't sure if they would trust him to take care of their daughter for the rest of their lives. As a father he knew how important it was that they trust that the man who will marry their daughter will be able to take care of her just as well as if not better than they had. He just hoped that he wouldn't trip over his words and that he would be able to make it clear how he felt about Rachel.

He wasn't quite sure how to address her dads. "Mr. and Mr. Berry, thank you so much for agreeing to meet and talk with me."

Matthew thought it was cute that he was nervous. "Please call us Matthew and Adam. The whole Mr. and Mr. thing just sounds so formal." Adam nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Matthew and Adam it is then. You're probably wondering why I wanted to meet with you." They nodded and encouraged him to go on. "I just wanted to talk to you about the events of the past few months. I know it probably seemed so abrupt when Rachel picked up and moved across the country, and I just wanted to let you know that we're not just doing this on a whim. We've known each other for so long and we were great friends in high school. She pushed me to realize that my potential was so much greater than I thought it could be and she believed in me when everyone else seemed to give up on me. She was instrumental in helping me mature and become the man that I am today and I don't think I could ever thank her enough. She is a big reason why I am the father that I am today. She's occupied a place in my heart since the week we dated in high school and no woman has ever even come close to being as special to me as she is. I didn't realize it at the time, but I fell in love with her that week and it's spoiled me ever since because I could never come close to truly loving anyone else because my heart already belonged to her. You two have done an amazing job taking care of her up until now, so I guess I'm asking if it's okay with you if I take over. Rachel has this smile that lights up any room that she's in and when I'm the reason for that smile, it inspires me to be the best man I can be and it makes me want to do everything in my power to keep that smile lighting up my life. My life isn't complete without her, and I know that having your support will make her so happy. Matthew and Adam, I'm asking you for a huge favor. May I have your daughter's hand in marriage?"

Adam's tears started to spill over about halfway through Noah's speech and had been flowing ever since. Matthew was stunned. He had a feeling that this might be why Noah had come, but he had never thought that he would be so thoroughly convinced that anyone could love his daughter more than he and his husband did. He had absolutely no doubts in his heart that Noah was the one for Rachel. Because Adam's composure had flown out the window during Noah's speech, Matthew took the initiative to speak. "I'll admit that I had my reservations about Rachel giving up everything and moving across the country, but I can see why she didn't even think twice about it. Son, I know you've had a tough life, but we couldn't be more proud of the man you've become. We're even more touched at the decency and respect that you've shown us here today. Our daughter's hand is technically not ours to give, but I suspect that asking is just a formality anyway. You not only have our blessing, but you also have our complete support. I don't think there's anyone better than you who can love our Rachel the way that she deserves to be loved."

Noah's eyes filled with tears. It had been a long time since a man had called him 'son' and it felt so much better than he imagined it could. "I promise to always take good care of your daughter. Thank you so much."

All three men stood and hugged each other and then sat down to dinner. Noah was glad to have gotten the hard part out of the way so that they could enjoy their meal together. He showed them the ring and both men gushed and got emotional all over again after hearing the story that came with the ring. They knew that their daughter was going to be in for the shock of her life next week.


	13. Chapter 13

Okay, so a crazy thing called life happened to me. I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. This is one of my favorites so far. I hope you like it too. I also want to thank all of you who have stuck with the story even though it takes me forever to update at times. Enjoy and leave me a review! I would love to hear what you think.

* * *

Now that all the formalities were out of the way, a huge load was lifted off of Noah's shoulders. Every step of the way he had anticipated resistance, but every time he would confront that resistance, he was pleasantly surprised to find unconditional love and support. He expected the most resistance from Rachel's dads, because he knew how hard it would be for him to give his blessing to another man to take care of Beth. He was just relieved and honored that they gave their blessing and support so freely and without reservation. Everything was falling into place and it just reinforced the idea that he and Rachel were on the right track.

He and Beth were now able to focus on their other project, which was to get Mike and Santana back on track. He knew that one of the biggest obstacles in Mike's way was the approval of his parents. Having been friends with Mike for all these years, he had learned that respect and honor were huge aspects of Asian culture. He remembered how hard his friend fought to pursue a career in performing arts rather than do what his parents had expected him to do, which was go into business, medical, or law school. It was a struggle for him to go against his parents' wishes, but in the end, his parents wanted him to be happy and secure because they had worked so hard to come to the United States to provide him with the opportunities that he wouldn't have had if he grew up in their home country.

Noah knew that the Changs were just happy that their son loved his career and was able to make good money doing what he loved. Mike really was living the American dream. He was sure that at the heart of it, they wanted Mike to be just as happy in his personal life as he was in his professional life. Noah made the decision to go and talk to the Changs and see if he couldn't help bridge the gap between their desires for their son and Mike's assumptions of what they wanted for him. He brought Beth along for support because he knew that his daughter had a way of making people see things in a different light.

They walked up to the Chang residence, nervous about how they would be received, but determined to do the best they could for their friend. Noah rang the bell and Mike's mom answered.

"Hello Mrs. Chang. I know I haven't been here in a long time…"

"Puck! You know better…I told you a long time ago to call me Anita."

She pulled him into a hug and he kissed her on the cheek. He turned toward his daughter. "This is my daughter, Beth. Beth, this is your Uncle Mike's mom."

She looked Beth up and down. She had heard so much about this young lady. "Oh Puck, she looks so much like you. If she got your looks, resourcefulness, and charm then she must be quite a challenge for you."

They both laughed. "Challenge doesn't quite cover all that this young lady is, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She keeps my life interesting."

"So what brings you here today? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. I actually came for two reasons. First, I wanted to invite you and Mr. Chang to Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Thanksgiving is such an important holiday in the Puckerman family, and my family considers Mike family and by extension you as well. We would love it if we could all celebrate together."

"Puck, I am so touched that you consider us family. I'll accept on one condition. You let us bring dessert. I know the traditional dessert is pumpkin pie, and we'll bring that as well as another one of my famous desserts."

Puck remembered that Mike's mom made the best baked goods. He loved going to Mike's after school because of the quality and variety of snacks that Anita would leave for them. "Oh, I trust you with dessert completely. If I remember correctly, I had to work extra hard to keep the weight of your desserts off, but it was worth it because your desserts cannot be resisted."

Anita's heart warmed at the thought that Puck had such fond memories of her. She was also glad that he was her son's best friend. "What was the second reason you came?"

"I'm going to leave that for Beth to explain…"

Beth wasted no time jumping into the events of the past few months. She was a gifted storyteller and Anita was a captive audience. Noah made sure that she didn't embellish too much on things, but it was very interesting to hear and see things through Beth's eyes. Noah was amazed at the little things that she noticed and how in tune she was with people's thoughts and actions and how she could figure out what they meant even before the people she was observing did.

When Beth was finished, Anita was in absolute awe. Ever since her son had broken the mold and moved out to California to pursue his dreams, she slowly realized that she had to let go of all the expectations she had for him. She recognized a sort of free spirit in him. It was a spirit that would not allow him to settle into convention. It made her happy to know that it seemed as though he found someone who could make him happy and who could keep up with the lifestyle that her son loved. The perfect Asian wife who was quiet and agreeable and would defer to him would never make him happy. He needed someone who could challenge him and keep him on his toes and Santana sounded like exactly the kind of girl he needed.

"Puck, Beth I'm so glad you told me all this. I think that Michael hasn't quite gotten over the Asian ideals and stereotypes. I know you kids sometimes think that parents are too old to change, but Steven and I have learned that seeing our kids happy is what matters the most. I can't wait to see Mike with Santana at Thanksgiving dinner. If it's magic just like you say, I think it will make me the happiest mother in the world to see him so happy. Steven may take a while to get used to the idea, but he always comes around, and I will do my best to prepare him."

Mission accomplished! Noah and Beth smiled those sly smiles to themselves. They were halfway to their goal.

Noah and Beth were still riding the wave of excitement when they decided to go over to the Lopez household. Noah had always been afraid of Santana's parents, especially when they dated back in high school. Her dad was a doctor and had a very commanding presence, which made him really intimidating. Her mom was quiet and unassuming at first glance, but he learned pretty quickly that she was just the type of person who chose her battles carefully. Most people consider quiet people to be weak, but after seeing how Santana's mom operated, he knew not to underestimate her strength.

It was just after dinnertime when Puck and Beth got to the house. Dr. Lopez had answered the door and invited them in for dessert and coffee and they happily obliged.

"Dr. and Mrs. Lopez, it's been a long time. I know the last time you saw me I was a crazy and mixed up teenage boy who dated your daughter on and off, but a lot of things have changed since then. Santana and I have become great friends thanks to my daughter, Beth. Your daughter loves and supports me and my daughter so much and we consider her a part of our family. Beth here absolutely loves and adores her Aunt Santana. If you don't have other plans, we would love it if you'd join us all for Thanksgiving dinner. We couldn't imagine celebrating the holiday without her, but we wouldn't want to tear her away from your family's festivities."

Santana's mom thought that Puck and Beth were absolutely adorable and that they were so sweet for wanting them all to be a part of their holiday celebration. It eased her mind to know that her daughter had such great people to call family out there since she was so far away from her own. "Please call me Isabel. I am so glad to see you again, Puck and am glad to finally meet you Beth. Santana has not been able to stop talking about you for the past few months, especially you, sweetheart," she said as she reached for Beth's hand. "You have certainly made an impression on her. Victor and I would absolutely love to join your family Puck. I'll be certain to call your mother tomorrow to let her know and to figure out what we can bring."

Puck nudged Beth and she knew that was her cue to work her charm. "Mrs. Lopez…" Isabel shot her a look. "I mean, Isabel…there's another reason why we came here…" Beth went on to tell the saga of Mike and Santana for the second time that night. This time she focused more on what a great guy Mike was, and how he had a quiet strength and how he was steady, calm, and reliable.

As she finished her story and what their hopes were for Santana and Mike, she couldn't quite tell how this was all being received. They were probably great poker players because their faces didn't give anything away. After a few minutes, Victor finally spoke. "One of the greatest hopes for a father regarding his daughter is that she will meet a man who will treat her well and be able to provide for her. From what you told me about this Mike, I think he may be exactly what she needs. My daughter has always been intense and aggressive in life. I guess you could say that was my influence. I never had a son, so I always pushed to her to do and be her best and I wanted her to be well-rounded so I tended to emphasize that she didn't need a man, that she could do anything and everything she wanted and that she shouldn't let anyone or anything stand in her way. For the last few years I feared that I may have pushed her too far on the road to independence and that she might not have someone to share her life with. Mike sounds like he has a calming influence on Santana, and that he encourages her to slow down a bit and actually enjoy the success that she works so hard for. It would be a dream come true for me to see my daughter settled and happy and if Mike is the person that she wants to do all that with, then I'm all for it."

Isabel looked at her husband in shock. She never realized how much insight he had into their daughter. She too had feared that their daughter would end up with a successful and high-powered career, but have no one to share it with in the end. Talking to her daughter over the last few months and hearing her talk about Puck and Rachel's love story and how wonderful Beth was, gave her hope that her daughter might finally be seeing how the other half lives and maybe she would start to want those things for herself. Over the past couple of months, she noticed that her daughter had started focusing on work like crazy again and her hopes that Santana was changing were dashed. She could now see that her daughter was fighting her feelings because she was scared. Isabel knew that she needed to do everything she could to make sure that her daughter didn't lose out on a chance at happiness, especially with a guy like Mike who seemed to be a very good match for her.

Noah and Beth went home that night, extremely proud of themselves. This was a time when the meddling wasn't going to blow up in their faces…well that was assuming that Mike and Santana's talk on the plane went as Beth hoped.

Santana loved the excitement of traveling. Unlike most people, she loved the process of packing for a trip because it just added to her growing anticipation. Consequently, she always showed up at the airport super early so that she could make sure that she had plenty of time to get through security and settle in at her gate so that she didn't feel rushed.

Mike loved to travel too, but he was definitely more of a procrastinator. Packing at the last minute and making a mad dash to the airport and through security. He was almost always the last one to board the plane.

True to form, Santana was at the gate with plenty of time before boarding began and was one of the first passengers to board because she loved flying first class. The first class cabin was empty except for her which wasn't surprising because of how the economy was lately. She liked to make her vacations true occasions of relaxation, so she didn't bring an ounce of her office with her. She even left her Bluetooth at home so that she wouldn't be tempted to go into work mode while she was in Lima. The flight attendant had brought her a glass of red wine to enjoy before takeoff and she was finally allowing herself to completely relax and look forward to seeing her mom and dad. It had been almost 5 years since she'd been back, and almost 2 since she'd seen her parents. She was also getting excited about spending Thanksgiving with the Puckermans and Rachel. It meant a lot to her that she was included in that celebration. Rachel had been feeling a bit unsettled about the state of her relationship lately, but Santana just felt like this holiday was going to be a huge turning point in their relationship.

Mike was so excited about this trip because of what was happening with Puck and Rachel. He had spent years loving and supporting his best friend and helped make the transition into fatherhood as smooth as possible and he adored Beth in every way possible. He was happy that they were finally going to complete their family. He was also looking forward to a new beginning for himself. It will be good for him to get out of LA, see his parents, and celebrate with Puck, Rachel, and Beth before he came back and started his campaign for Santana's heart. When he checked in, he realized that Puck had booked him first class. He was already hyped for the trip and going first class was just icing on the cake. He made it to the gate with just minutes to spare, as was per usual with him.

Mike boarded the plane and made his way to the first class cabin and noticed that it was pretty empty. There was only one other person there and as he looked at his seat assignment, he realized that he was sitting next to that person. He figured that he'd just sit next to her for takeoff, then move to one of the other empty seats. As soon as he got his bags stowed he settled into his seat and looked over at his seat mate. She had her back turned to him and was staring out the window so he couldn't see her face. He pulled out his phone to text Puck and let him know that he was on his way and to "thank" him for booking him next to the only other first class passenger.

The flight attendant came through and mentioned that they would be taking off soon, and asked if there was anything she could do for them before then. Santana was a bit cold and wanted to ask for a pillow and blanket so she could sleep, so she turned in her seat and found herself staring straight at the man she'd worked so hard to avoid these last few months. He didn't notice her at first because he was too busy texting, but her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't hide the gasp she let out in surprise.

Mike heard the gasp and looked up from texting and almost dropped his phone. This was absolutely the last scenario he ever pictured in his mind for how they would encounter each other again.

"Santana…I had no idea you were going home for Thanksgiving."

"I started to feel homesick when I realized that Puck, Rachel, and Beth were all going to be out of town. For some reason, celebrating Thanksgiving by going out for drinks and dinner with friends just wasn't going to cut it for me this year, so I decided to head home and see my parents."

"I sort of felt the same way. I'm used to Puck and Beth leaving me for the holiday, but this year I wanted to go back. I haven't seen my parents in a while, and I haven't been back to Lima for so long."

"Me too…it's been almost five years for me."

"I think it's been seven or eight for me. The last time I was back was for Finn and Quinn's wedding."

They kept making small talk and suddenly the space between them felt huge, even though they were sitting only inches from each other. Mike knew that waiting until after the trip wasn't an option anymore. He could have switched seats and avoided her for the rest of the plane ride, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to leave her side. She was back to staring out the window again, and he didn't want to spend the rest of the trip staring at her back so he gathered up the courage and bit the bullet.

"Santana, are you mad at me or repulsed by me or something?"

Moment of truth…it was now or never. "No, what would make you think that?"

"Well, I haven't seen you around Puck's place anymore. We used to all hang out and have so much fun. I know for a fact that you're ok with Rachel and Beth and as far as I know you don't have any problems with Puck, so that just leaves me. What did I do to drive you away?"

"You didn't do anything. It's not you, Mike. It's me." She turned away and stared out the window. She couldn't let go. She still wasn't ready to take that next step. She hoped that he would leave it at that and just let it go.

Mike couldn't just let it go. "Santana, look at me. I've been miserable these past few months and it's because I've spent that whole time racking my brain trying to figure out what went wrong. I don't know how it happened, but somehow you got to me. Before this whole 'who's my mother?' mystery with Beth started we knew where we stood with each other. We were just two people who knew each other in high school and kept casually in touch over the years. Then Beth's desire to find her mother pushed us together and I have to admit that I liked that you were around more often. I got to see you in a whole new light and you were so great with Beth. For the first time, I felt like I got to see the real you. You went out of your way to help get Beth to New York and have been like a fairy godmother where Puck and Rachel were concerned. I have to say that you wear the loving and romantic sides of you very well and I wish that more people could see you the way that I do. I like that we're so different from each other because you add color to my otherwise boring and mundane life. You're so intense, aggressive, and passionate…all the things that I'm not. The night that Puck and Beth came home from Lima this summer and you arranged for Rachel to surprise them is a night that I'll never forget. I know you pride yourself on being strong and not needing someone to take care of you, and I felt honored that you let me take care of you that night. Something changed in me that night and you were the reason for it. I like myself so much more when I'm with you. It's been horrible without you these last few months."

Santana was so shocked and overwhelmed by Mike's words. Somehow he knew exactly what to say to address all her fears and everything that she was holding onto just slipped away. She was so glad that he took the initiative to tell her all this because who knows how long she would have spent running in circles around her crazy thoughts. She let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh Mike, you make me sound so amazing and I know I'm not an easy person to deal with. I have been driving myself insane with my feelings. I felt something change in me too after that night and I had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. Then the next day when you and Beth were absolutely killing me with your adorableness and sending me pictures every 15 minutes, there were desires awakened in me that I didn't even know I had. I felt so safe and calm sleeping in your arms. It was the best night of sleep that I ever had in my life and it just left me wanting more. Being with you felt like coming home, and that's one of the best feelings in the world. I just wanted more of it and it scared me. I was absolutely terrified that you didn't feel the same way. I didn't have the courage to put myself out there and find out how you were feeling and I have to apologize to you for that. We could have avoided all this misery these last few months."

"You're not the only one to blame. I was scared too because I didn't think that you could possibly like me in that way."

"You really didn't believe that did you? You are an amazing guy and I wasn't sure I deserved someone like you. I love watching you with Beth. You're so much fun, and you love her like she was your own daughter. It's so refreshing to see a man who can show that loving and vulnerable side of himself without worrying if it makes him seem less manly. If anything, in my mind, it makes you more of a man. You and Puck are two of the best men I know because of the way I've seen the way you both love and take care of Beth. Everything that I've seen in you is everything that I didn't even realize I wanted in life and in a man. I've always been married to my career, but ever since we've become closer I realized that it's not enough for me anymore. I want more and I want it with you."

She leaned in and kissed him after waiting for what seemed like eternity since they spent the night together. It was tender and loving, just the way that she imagined it would be. Because of her aggressive nature, guys tended to come at her in an aggressive and intense manner, so the nature of this kiss caught her off guard, but she preferred the sweet and steady nature of this kiss because it made her feel loved, respected, and safe.

They pulled away from each other and Mike pulled her into his arms. She loved the feeling of being back in his arms again. "How did we end up here?"

"I honestly have no idea. The chance of us booking the same flight let alone the seats next to each other is highly improbable. Even more so because I didn't even book my flight…Puck did."

"Wait a minute…do you think that Puck arranged all of this?"

"He's grown up a lot since high school and he's not the type to meddle, especially in these types of matters."

"It just seems really fishy to me. I mean, Rachel didn't even know my flight information…" Suddenly, she had an epiphany. "But I did tell Beth everything. I bet she put Puck up to this. That kid is something else. We got hustled by a teenager."

"I think it just means that she really cares about us. Think about it…she's the only one who's seen us together and she only does this for those she loves. She's surprisingly mature and insightful for her age so she saw something between us that even we couldn't see. She was probably frustrated too, watching us do this crazy dance around each other and she decided to do something about it. She knew that the only way to really get us to talk was to stick us next to each other on a plane because there's no possible escape route. Remind me to thank her someday, although I don't think I could possibly pay her back on the same magnitude of the gift that she's given me."

Santana smiled as she snuggled in his arms. Beth deserved to be spoiled rotten.


	14. Chapter 14

Okay, there's good news and there's better news! The good news is my life is finally slowing down...I recently moved and started grad school which is actually an improvement on my crazy busy life, and the better news is that I was able to write and finally finish this fic! Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter, but it's an important one. There's one more chapter after this and an epilogue. I'll post the others when I get around to it, and let me know if you like this chapter, it took me a while and lot of rewrites to get it right.

* * *

Mike told Santana about Puck's plans to ask Rachel to marry him on Thanksgiving. She was ecstatic about the news and absolutely couldn't wait for the celebration to come. She and Mike decided to keep the news of their relationship quiet until after Puck and Rachel's engagement was official because they didn't want to take any attention away from them. Plus, they wanted to have a little fun at Beth's expense and not give her the immediate satisfaction of being right about them and their feelings.

Their plane landed and they made their way to baggage claim where they parted ways for the time being. They would be meeting up again tomorrow at the Puckermans, but that wasn't soon enough for them. Mike promised that he would find a way for them to get together before then. Santana's parents were waiting for her at the baggage carousel. Victor and Isabel noticed right away that their daughter was different. She seemed a lot less tense and didn't have a care in the world. There was a glow about her and she couldn't stop smiling. They hoped that Beth was right and that Mike was the reason for her newfound happiness. As they were walking out, Victor noticed that she took one last look across the room to a young man. The young man nodded in her direction and her smile grew, if that was even possible. Victor did a double take and recognized the young man as Mike. He and Isabel had looked him up in one of McKinley's old yearbooks after Puck and Beth had left. Victor was glad to see his daughter so happy.

Anita was running a bit late and walked in a couple of minutes after Santana and her parents left. She saw her son waiting for her with his bags, texting on his phone. "Michael! I'm so sorry I'm late. I really wanted to meet you right when you came into baggage claim."

"Mom, don't worry about it. I'm just so glad to see you." He pulled her into a hug.

"How was your flight?"

The memory of that flight would forever be one of his favorites. "It was amazing mom…simply amazing."

All of a sudden he had a far off look in his eyes and Anita knew that he was off in dream land. She wondered what could put her son in that good of a mood. "I'm so happy you're here. I've been cooking and baking all day. I made all your favorites. Maybe it'll get you in a good mood and soften you up and you'll tell me all about what put that smile on your face."

Mike just smiled nervously to himself. He'd have to see about that. A part of him wanted to shout about his newfound happiness from the rooftops, but the other part of him was still a bit scared to tell others about it. Telling others would make it real and he wasn't sure if he was quite ready for it to be real just yet. He liked the idea of living in a world with just Santana for a little while. He wanted to protect that as much as he could before bringing everyone else into that world.

He loved being home and being spoiled by his mom. She always cooked his favorite foods, which he missed so much living out in California. His dad was always business as usual and they talked about work and how he was doing financially. He had fully expected his mom to start in on who he was dating and tease him about settling down, and he was surprised when she didn't say a single word about it, although she did comment on how she thought he was looking thin and asked if he was eating properly, and she did say that she hoped he wasn't working too hard and found some time to relax and have fun.

After dinner, the wheels in Mike's head started turning while he formulated a plan to spend time with Santana. There wasn't much to do in Lima, and places weren't open very late…but he didn't really want to go out anyway because he didn't want to risk them being seen together at least not at this time. He thought about the lake outside of town where he would go when things got tense between him and his parents because he didn't want to follow their life plan. It was a peaceful and relaxing place that not a lot of people appreciated or knew about and he thought it was the perfect place for them to spend some time together and talk about the future. It was a place that meant a lot to him and he wanted to share it with her.

Santana received Mike's text just as she was finishing up dessert with her parents. Victor and Isabel couldn't help but notice how much her smile grew after receiving that text. She excused herself from the table and told them that she was going to her room to rest after the long trip.

She raced up to her room and opened her window. Mike had climbed the tree and was waiting for her, with a single rose in his hand. "Fancy meeting a girl like you this time of night…care to join me?" He stuck his hand out towards her coaxing her to sneak out with him.

Santana reached for him without hesitation and he helped her climb down the tree. When they reached the bottom of the tree, he offered her the rose and they headed towards his car.

Victor and Isabel watched them through their bedroom window. They could just see how well Mike treated their daughter and their hearts warmed at the prospect that their daughter may have finally found her match.

Beth woke up the next day with an enthusiastic energy. Today was the day. Rachel's dads had picked her up from the airport and Noah talked to her briefly, but insisted that she spend the time with her dads rather than taking time away to see him since they hadn't seen her in so long. This gave them time to reconnect and it gave Noah time to prepare for the proposal. He had gone through so many different scenarios and speeches in his head, but he decided that he would wait until everything felt right.

Everyone started arriving at the Puckerman house around 2:00 on Thanksgiving. The Changs were the first to arrive, followed by the Lopez family. Ruth hadn't had as much interaction with Mike's or Santana's parents over the years as she had with the Berrys, and most of her interaction with Rachel's dads was because they went to the same Temple. She was glad to finally have a chance to meet and talk with them. Ruth realized that they were already bonded through their kids, so them getting along was important to her.

Puck, Mike, Steven, and Victor settled in the living room to watch sports while the women gathered in the kitchen and dining room to help prepare the spread. Rachel and her dads finally made it to the house around 3:00. Indulgence was always the theme at Thanksgiving around the Puckerman house. They ate an early dinner and were on to round two before most families were finished with round one. Now that everyone was there, they decided that it was time to sit down for the meal. As the head of the family, Noah took his place at the head of the table. He looked down the table at the beautiful spread and saw everyone laughing and smiling as they took their places. This is what he always wanted…a family. In the early years he would wish that his father would come back because they were flesh and blood and that's the way he thought it should be. Looking out at the table now and seeing how everyone was so loving and at ease with each other, he realized something very important. The family you choose can mean so much more than the family you're given. The Puckermans, the Lopezes, the Changs, and the Berrys…they all chose to be here today and celebrate together as a family. Suddenly all the chatter faded in his head and he could feel the pull in his heart. This was the perfect moment.

Noah cleared his throat and clinked his fork against his glass to get everyone's attention. When the chatter died and all eyes were on him he started to speak, "I just want to thank everyone for coming here today. As you all know, Thanksgiving used to be a really tough time for my family because my dad left around this time so many years ago. At first, I hated this holiday because I was so angry that I could never bring myself to be thankful for anything. Over the years, with the love and support of the women in my life," he said with his gaze directed at Ruth and Abby, "and with the unconditional love of good friends," he focused his attention to Mike and then Rachel, "I was able finally understand what this holiday was truly about and here we are today…an unlikely group, that's for sure, but one that is full of love and understanding. In the days leading up to this holiday, I got to spend a lot of time with my mom and learned a lot about our family history. One story in particular that stuck out to me was the story of my great-grandparents…"

As soon as he started in on the story, Ruth and Rachel's dads realized exactly what was going on. They looked at each other and over to Beth and Abby and they all exchanged knowing looks as Noah continued with the story.

"…They survived the war and all those years apart not knowing what was going on with the other, but the moment that they reconnected in their village, my great-grandfather recognized that a love like theirs was rare and that he had to grab onto it and never let go. I'm sure by now you all know the story and that the same thing has happened to me recently."

He looked over at Rachel who was sitting between her dads and she was blushing furiously. He walked over to her and started talking directly to her. "Rachel, I didn't realize it until recently, but you've had my heart since that one week we dated in high school. You were the first one who ever believed that there was more to me than what people saw. You've challenged me in ways that no one else ever has and you have this amazing ability to bring out the best in me that I didn't even know existed. You taught me about what it was like to be a true friend when you forgave me for the slushies I used to throw on you and you understood when I wanted to choose football over glee. When I walked through the door to that choir room, the look on your face and the way you hugged me showed me what it's supposed to feel like to do the right thing. I've never forgotten that feeling and always look for it when I'm making decisions and taking care of others. I'm the man I am today because of your encouragement, and that has allowed me to be the best father I can be to Beth. Seeing you again in New York earlier this year absolutely ruined me. You flashed that Rachel Berry thousand-watt smile and I knew that I would be fumbling around in the dark for the rest of my life if I couldn't figure out how to hang on to you this time. I remember the first time I was ever the reason for that smile, which was when I sang a song for you in glee. I don't think you're aware of how much that smile affects me, but it truly does make me feel like I can do anything and I will do everything in my power to make sure that I keep that smile on your face." He pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. Everyone at the table was beaming with pride. Ruth, Abby, Santana, and Beth couldn't help it and were dabbing at their eyes with their napkins. "I promised you a few things when you agreed to move across the country for us, and this ring represents all that and more. Rachel Barbra Berry, I don't have a lot to offer, but you can have it all…my future, my family, my hopes, and my dreams…will you marry me and make the happiest man in the world?"

The blush was gone from her face, and the tears started to escape. "When will you get it right, Noah?" Everyone gasped, not expecting that reaction at all. "It's _our_ future, _our_ family, _our_ hopes and _our_ dreams…Of course I'll marry you!" Everyone let out a sigh of relief. He put the ring on her finger and got up off his knee and pulled her in for a kiss. Everyone swarmed them and offered their congratulations. Matthew and Adam gave Noah a pat on the back for a job well done and officially welcomed him into the family. All the women gathered around Rachel insisting on getting a good look at the ring. Ruth talked about how she felt the ring was meant for them all along and told Rachel that she couldn't have handpicked a better woman for her son.


	15. Chapter 15

I didn't want to keep you waiting too long since it's all written..I'm posting both this final chapter and the epilogue at the same time so you can have the conclusion right now...I hope I've done justice to our favorite characters. I just want thank everyone who stuck with this one because I know I went a really long time between updates at times, but I wanted to do the story justice and give them (and you as readers) the ending they deserved.

* * *

Santana was really happy for her best friends and for the first time she wasn't the least bit jealous of them. She looked over at Mike and saw how he was with Puck, congratulating him and ribbing him about taking so long to figure things out. She was finally in a place where she let herself hope for good things in her future in the romantic sense. She had a really good feeling about where her relationship with Mike would be headed.

They were finally able to sit down for dinner, but the excited mood hadn't died down even a little bit. Noah and Rachel getting married had been such an inevitable conclusion in everyone's minds for some time now that they all wanted to weigh in on the wedding plans. The one thing that they immediately agreed on was that it was going to be a very short engagement. In their minds, they had spent so much time apart that they didn't see any reason to prolong it. Noah said that he was ready to go to the courthouse tomorrow, but everyone else scoffed at the idea. A huge star deserved a huge production and Noah wanted Rachel to have everything that she ever dreamed of. Plus, Matthew and Adam had always dreamed of doing this for their daughter since they never got to have a huge production of a wedding for themselves, so this was as much their dream as it was Rachel's.

By the time the evening was over, it was decided that a May wedding in Malibu was perfect for them. They thought about having the wedding in Lima, but there was something about having the wedding outdoors near the beach that appealed to everyone. Abby was just ecstatic about having a good reason to get out of Lima. While everyone would get a chance to give their opinions about the wedding, it was Rachel, Santana, Matthew, and Adam who were pretty much running the show. Santana was the perfect person to have on the planning team since she knew so many people in LA and could facilitate a lot of the plans. Plus, she could talk her way into and out of almost anything so she could make sure that Rachel got her dream wedding.

Before the party officially broke up for the evening, Mike pulled Beth aside and motioned for Santana to come over. "Hey Squirt, I just want to thank you for being you and hustling us. It probably would have taken forever for your Aunt Santana and I to stop running around in crazy circles long enough to sit down and talk, but it did the trick."

Beth had a hard time containing her excitement and let out a squeal, which caught the attention of the others. "You two are together now? Like for real together?" All eyes were now on the three of them, everyone waiting for an answer with bated breath.

Mike and Santana blushed, a bit embarrassed by all the attention, but still looked up at everyone. He took her hand in his and said, "Yes. Thanks to Beth's insight and charm, we are finally done dancing around our feelings and we are officially together."

Puck and Beth high-fived each other and Rachel immediately went over to her best friend to hug her. Anita had tears in her eyes and Steven was standing behind her, supporting his wife and smiling at his son. Victor and Isabel had big smiles on their faces, not the least bit surprised by the announcement.

Santana thought her parents would be shocked. "Mama, Papa…you don't look shocked by any means. Are you ok with all this?"

Victor took a step towards them. "Well, we're not surprised because of this young lady," he said gesturing towards Beth, "she came to us and told us everything about the last few months and yesterday at the airport I saw you look over towards him and I saw how happy you were. There was something in your eyes, something I've never seen before and it lit you up inside and then we saw you sneak out last night and we got to see up close how well he treats you and how happy you are together. We've been worried about you for a while now, thinking that you were too focused on your career and that you might miss out on some of the finer things in life. We're so glad that you reconnected with Puck, Rachel, and Mike after all these years and we're especially happy that Beth came into your life because it seems like she's been instrumental in getting all your lives back on track. Mike, I know I probably don't have to say this because you seem like a really great guy who was raised right, but take good care of my daughter, will you?"

"Yes sir. I would break my own heart in a million pieces before I would even think about breaking hers."

More hugs were in order and another hour of celebration ensued. This was by far the best Thanksgiving that any of them had ever had.

Back in California, life got hectic. Santana and Rachel had to change their focus from Rachel's career transition to planning the wedding. Santana had the delicate task of making sure that Rachel got her dream wedding while keeping Matthew and Adam appeased so that they didn't completely take over. Most people were under the impression that mothers of brides were the most feared people during wedding planning, but Santana felt that two gay dads indulging in their own dreams vicariously through their only daughter's wedding was even worse than a mother trying to take over the wedding plans.

Rachel had never really dreamed too much about her wedding. As a kid, she was always busy focusing on singing lessons and dance classes and this carried over into her teenage years. After she had graduated high school, she could never see herself settling down to get married because she felt like it would slow down her ambition and dreams. Just before Beth came to visit, she had started to get feelings of restlessness. She loved performing and wouldn't have changed anything about her life up to that point, but she started to realize that building your life around one thing was no longer as fulfilling as it used to be. She would be greeted by fans after her shows and many times she would see mothers who brought their daughters to the show. Over and over she would hear how much the daughters looked up to her and how she inspired them to want to perform, but what she really noticed was the glow in their mothers' eyes. She could see the love and adoration in that look and she began to find herself longing to have what they had.

When she saw Beth that day backstage she realized that her new dream was not completely out of her reach. Noah came back into her life and suddenly she felt like things were completely out of control, which normally is not good for a super type A personality like Rachel, but there was something about Noah that made her feel safe enough to relinquish that need to control everything. Noah had gotten to a place in her heart that she thought she had kept hidden from everyone else. Most guys had to work so hard in order to even get close to that place, but Noah had unlocked it with grape slushie. It was that moment in the hallway when she realized that the boy she grew up with in Temple was still there despite his attempts to keep that side hidden. It was from that moment on that she realized that to her, he would always be Noah. It was that moment that made her fall in love with the man that she knew he'd become if he just let himself. In New York, she saw that he had surpassed all her expectations about the man he'd become.

She had gotten to see glimpses of the father that he was just by spending time with Beth for those two weeks, but nothing prepared her for seeing him again. She had told herself repeatedly that she wasn't going to let her heart run ahead of her head, but that plan started to unravel the night she went to Beth's dorm and Noah called Beth's phone. Something inside her changed forever when she found out that Noah still sang their song to Beth after all these years. It was like feeling the tug of the invisible tether between their hearts pulling them closer and there was nothing she could do to stop it, nor did she want to.

Here she was on her wedding day, reflecting on how they got to this very moment. It was a half hour before the ceremony and everything was falling perfectly into place. Santana made a stunning maid of honor and she was absolutely the best friend that Rachel could have asked for. It was amazing to have someone like her taking care of all the important details. Some concessions had to be made because if it was up to her fathers, the whole thing would have been a big spectacle, but Santana was an expert negotiator and managed to keep the crazy down to a minimum.

Santana had managed to secure a friend's property for the wedding. It was a beautiful ranch with a cliff overlooking the ocean that provided a breathtaking backdrop for the ceremony. The room they were using as the Bridal Suite had a view overlooking the ceremony site and Rachel, Santana, Abby, and Beth (who were bridesmaids) sat with her marveling at how amazing everything looked. It had been threatening to rain all weekend, but right now the clouds had parted and the sun was beginning to peek out from behind the clouds. It was late in the afternoon, coming up on dusk and combination of the pinks and blues that were coming from the setting sun made for a picturesque view. Santana was wound so tight worrying about last minute details, but finally started to relax. She was worried that the weather wouldn't cooperate. The guests had all arrived and were all given umbrellas in the event that the weather decided to act up, but it looked like they might not be needed.

Ruth came up to the room with Matthew and Adam in tow and they knew it was time to get the show on the road. Noah would be escorting Ruth to her seat in just a few minutes, but she wanted to come and see her future daughter-in-law and granddaughter one last time.

"Rachel, Beth…I can't even begin to tell you the joy that I feel as a mother on this day. Days like this are very rare and I am so blessed and overjoyed to be a part of this one. One thing that saddens me is that your mother isn't here to see how this played out. Rachel, I would never dream of trying to take that role in your life, just know that this whole "in-law" business is just a formality…you are a daughter of my heart and I hope you know that I can't think of anyone better to entrust my son and granddaughter to. I'm always here if you need me. Beth, you are a remarkable young woman and I couldn't be more proud of you even if I tried. I have always wished that Noah would find a suitable woman to be a mother figure in your life. I think that Shelby somehow knew that this conclusion was inevitable and she knew exactly what she was doing when entrusting you to Noah after she passed. I'm so glad you got your big sister and now a mother in this remarkable woman." The tears were already flowing as she pulled a box out from behind her back. "I had the pleasure of getting to know Shelby a little bit just before she died and I found out that her favorite flower was the lilac. I hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous, but I brought you both a lilac and I was hoping that you would consider putting them in your bouquets as a way to honor her."

There wasn't even a second thought as they began to rearrange their bouquets to accommodate the new flower. Rachel noticed that there was a third flower and she looked up at Ruth. "I had that prepared for Noah…I'm sure he'll agree to add it to his boutonniere. She meant a lot to him too."

Ruth went down to get ready to be escorted down the aisle as Rachel and Beth gathered their composure and redid their makeup. It was finally time to go on the amazing journey that was the rest of her life.

They made it downstairs and to the waiting area before walking down the aisle. Rachel couldn't remember being this excited about anything in her life. This moment even topped the very first time she ever took her place on a Broadway stage.

The one thing they had agreed on was that they would keep the ceremony simple because they didn't want the focus to be on ritual and tradition, even though they felt that both those things were beautiful. They wanted a chance to make their own memories and traditions. As Rachel stood from her place in the house, she could see Ruth pinning the new addition to Noah's lapel and him giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking her down the aisle. They broke tradition in a sense that they didn't have the same number of groomsmen as they did bridesmaids. Noah and Rachel were adamant that they were only going to have people in the wedding party who were their closest friends and not ask people for the sake of making sure everyone was paired up. Noah only wanted a best man, and asked Mike, who happily accepted. There was no question who Rachel's maid of honor would be, but she also wanted to include Beth and Abby in the ceremony as bridesmaids since they were family and have supported them unconditionally, so after Noah escorted his mother to her seat, Mike walked both Beth and Abby to the altar and Santana would walk alone, just before Rachel was escorted by her dads.

As Rachel got to the head of the aisle with her dads, everyone stood to take a look at her in her dress. She was overwhelmed at the sight of all the happy faces she saw in the crowd. She took a second to take it all in and then searched for that pair of hazel eyes that she had been longing to see all day. The second she found them, she could feel the tears start to well up in her eyes. She thought that she would be able to keep her composure, but she found herself overcome with emotion. Her tears were matched in Noah's misty eyes. He couldn't believe that they had finally made it here. After all the years and miles apart, the last fifty feet were the hardest for him to endure. He couldn't wait for her to finally get to the altar so that they could start the rest of their lives.

Rachel could see the longing in Noah's eyes and started to walk faster, basically pulling her dads down the aisle. She laughed to herself at her audacity and slowed down so that they could enjoy these last moments as the most important men in her life. At that moment, she felt a tinge of sadness because life would never be the same, but that sadness was washed over with comfort as she saw what she was walking towards. She knew that she would always have her dads to run to if she needed them, so it's not like she was losing them. Now, she looked at Noah knowing that her heart would always be safe with him and she couldn't contain the excitement anymore and a smile escaped from her lips.

There was the smile that ignited his passion. The smile that made Noah feel like he could do anything and made him want to be a better man. Everything from that moment on seemed to happen in a bubble. They had opted for a short ceremony and decided to write their own vows because the traditional ones didn't seem to be enough to represent how they felt about each other.

Rachel went first with the vows. "Noah…It feels like it's taken forever to get here, but looking back I wouldn't change a single thing about the road that has gotten us here. I think even in high school, we knew that we'd end up here someday, which is why it was ok for us to part ways and go on our own adventures. A love like ours is the most amazing kind, because it allowed us to keep each other in our hearts all these years, but it also compelled us to grow as individuals so that we would be the best possible versions of ourselves when we came back together. I think back then, I fell in love with your potential. Somehow I knew you still had yet to show the world how amazing you are. You have not only met, but exceeded every expectation I could ever have dreamed possible. High School Noah and Rachel were cute and adorable, but Grown up Noah and Rachel are absolutely perfect for each other. When you proposed to me, you said something about my smile being the light of your life, and I just wanted to let you know that yours is the ignition of my passion. When you smile at me, everything feels right in the world. In your eyes, I see the depth of your love for me and it comforts me. When you take my hand in yours, I just know that you'll always be there for me no matter what. Today, I take your hand in mine and promise you exactly the same thing. You're it for me, Noah. I could search under every rock and go to the ends of the earth and I would never find anyone who will love me as much or as well as you do."

Santana handed her the wedding ring she had custom-made and she showed him the inscription: _our future, our family, our hopes, our dreams_. He chuckled to himself and she whispered, "So now you'll always get it right." She placed the ring on his finger and he took both her hands in his.

"Rachel, I've been in awe of you for as long as I can remember. Even when I didn't show it properly…" she gave him a knowing look because she knew that he was still apologizing for the slushie facials, "…I was just jealous because you knew exactly where you were going in life and you had everything it took to get there. Like me, you were grossly misunderstood in high school, but over the years I have seen that your love for me is the rarest of them all and I'm so blessed to be the recipient of it. Your love has taught me about selflessness and humility, traits that have helped me to be the best son, brother, friend, and father that I can be. I'm a better person because of your love and I don't think I could ever thank you enough for it, but I'm ecstatic that I have a whole lifetime with you to try. So many people spend their lifetimes looking for the right person to hold hands with…holding yours would be my pleasure and honor."

Mike handed him Rachel's ring and he made sure she read his inscription: _More than yesterday, but less than tomorrow_. She looked a bit confused and he leaned over to tell her, "that's how much I love you baby."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house as the rabbi pronounced them husband and wife. Noah broke the glass on the first try and they turned to leave and take their first steps as husband and wife. The rest of the night was just an amazing time with their friends and family. Beth, Santana, and Mike all gave great speeches at the reception and the family that Noah had always wanted was finally no longer just wishful thinking.


	16. Epilogue

Okay, so here's the epilogue...I figured you'd probably want to know what happened after the wedding so I came up with this. Thank you so much for indulging me and reading and reviewing this story and sticking with it even through the long waits for updates. I also loved your response to the Mike/Santana pairing in this story, which I ended up fleshing out a lot more than I really intended. I wasn't sure how it would be received since it's not a pairing that anyone ever really thinks about, but in my mind, I absolutely love it (even if it has about a snowball's chance in hell of happening on the show, but hey that's what fanfiction is for, right?).

I'm also working on my next fic...I was very unhappy with season 2 of the show for various reasons, so I decided to ignore that it happened and pick up where season 1 left off. It's also a Puck/Rachel fic, and I hope you check it out when you're done with this one.

Last, but in no way the least, this fic is for my other half, the other G in my Real-Life OTP G-squared. I've never met someone who is so different from me yet, so alike in many other ways. I think the fact that I started writing this fic and it being the exact concept of a fic that you wanted is proof that we are epic...it's been a joy and a true labor of love to write this for you. Oh, and did I mention that I love you more than I could ever do justice with words? Yeah, that and then some...

* * *

As was their courtship, the next 18 months were just as much of a whirlwind. Beth was thriving and happier than anyone had ever seen her now that her family was complete. She was able to finally let go and act her age and stop worrying about the adults in her world. By the next Thanksgiving, Rachel and Noah found themselves back in Lima with their whole extended family, including the Lopezes and the Changs and they shocked them all with the news that they probably wouldn't be able to make it back next year for the holiday. Everyone gasped and their expressions changed from happy to sad in a matter of seconds. Rachel and Noah looked at each other with a smirk and Noah continued on, "We hope that you'll all be able to come to California next year to celebrate the dedication of our baby!"

Even more so than the previous year, the group erupted in excited hysterics. No one else had known so everyone was shocked and so happy for them.

The months seemed to fly by after that and in April of the following year they came home and told Beth that she was going to have a baby brother. She couldn't have been more excited and began to start calling Rachel's belly cute nicknames like Sport, Slugger, or even the generic Little Brother. Noah wanted to keep the tradition of naming his kids through song, so he sat Rachel and Beth down with his guitar and sang the song "Ben" to his son. Rachel was just as moved by this gesture as she was when he sang "Beth" all those years ago and Beth agreed that it was the perfect name for her baby brother.

Ben arrived in June and the Puckerman family could not be more overjoyed than they already were. Holding his son for the first time brought tears to Noah's eyes because he knew that this time he was going to get to keep him and be a father from day one. Rachel watched her husband with their son and she felt like her life was finally complete.

Faster than they realized, November and Thanksgiving came rolling around. Ruth and Abby, Matthew and Adam, Steven and Anita, and Victor and Isabel were all flying in to celebrate Ben's dedication. The reunion couldn't have come at a better time because Mike and Santana had hit a bump in their relationship.

Santana had been with Rachel every step of the way during her pregnancy and the months that followed and she had been bitten by the maternal bug. She felt her biological clock ticking and wanted to move hers and Mike's relationship forward and he wasn't quite ready to take that step. He had no doubts about his feelings for Santana nor did he question that they were going to get married someday, he just didn't want to move quite as quickly as she did. She sensed his hesitation and she took it to mean that he was unsure of where their relationship was headed. It was a failure of communication between them, and it was causing a lot of tension between them lately. They would pick fights over little things because both of them were afraid to discuss their issues out of fear that the other may take things the wrong way. Things had kind of reached a boiling point by the time their family got there.

The first thing he did as soon as he brought his parents home was to sit them down and have a talk with them. He explained everything that had been going on and they listened and waited to hear his side of things before they spoke. Surprisingly, it was Steven who had the most helpful advice. "Michael, you know I love you and want the best for you so please don't take this wrong way. You're being incredibly selfish right now. Your life is no longer just about you and you need to realize that. Santana is a great girl and I've never seen you happier than when you're with her. It's time to grow up and put your selfish desires aside otherwise you're going to lose the best thing that ever happened to you. I know you're going to be an amazing father. I raised you after all, and I've seen how you are with Beth. Plus, your mom and I agree that it's about time we had grandchildren to spoil."

Mike knew that his dad was right. He could stand pretty much anything in life, but he couldn't stand losing Santana after it took so long for them to finally be together. He had to make things right, so he called his favorite partner in crime.

The dedication had gone off without a hitch, even though Mike had Victor staring daggers at him. No doubt Santana had filled her parents in on recent events. He patted his pocket though and knew that he everything was going to be just fine after today.

After the ceremony, there was a small reception in Noah and Rachel's backyard and Santana was busy holding Ben while his parents were attending to the guests. She was just getting ready to sit at the head table with the baby when Mike approached her.

"Mike, I don't want to fight today. This is a special day for our best friends and I don't want to ruin it. Whatever you want to fight about can wait until tomorrow, ok?"

Santana's voice was a little bit raised so it caught the attention of the other guests and they started to listen in on their conversation.

"No Santana, it really can't wait. Did you know that every time I see you with Ben I fall even more in love with you? I didn't think it was possible, but I do."

Santana's eyes started to fill with tears that were half-happy, but also half-angry because of their recent fighting. She handed Ben over to Beth. "Well, I don't know if I believe you because you could have fooled me these past couple of months."

Mike's ego was deflated a little bit. "I know I've been an ass and I know I've hurt you, but my dad helped me to see how ridiculous I was being and I realized that even the days when we were fighting like crazy are better than any day I ever spent without you. I don't ever want to know what a day without you would be like." He pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "I can only ask for your forgiveness and the chance to make it up to you for the rest of our lives. I don't want to waste any more time fighting…I just want to spend making every day we spend together better than the day before."

Santana was overcome with emotion and got so choked up that she could hardly speak, but managed to get out a "yes." The whole party whooped with excitement and their parents were beaming from ear to ear.

Mike turned to the crowd and said, "Thank you for indulging me today, now get ready for the most spirited and beautiful Latinasian babies that the world has ever seen."

There was more applause and the party officially got kick started into high gear with a new occasion to celebrate. Noah and Rachel couldn't be happier for their best friends and came over to give them hugs and support.

When all the guests had gone and the house was cleaned up, Rachel finally coaxed Ben into slumber and joined her husband in their room. As soon as their heads hit the pillow, they were goners.

Two hours later, Beth awoke to her little brother's cries. She knew that her parents were exhausted because of the party so she got up to go and take care of him. She saw them get up, but waved them back to bed and told them that she'd take this one.

She got to Ben's room and turned on the light, trying to figure out why he was so fussy. She changed his diaper and prepared a bottle for him and decided to take the time to have a talk with her baby brother. She had forgotten to turn off the baby monitor, so she didn't realize that Rachel and Noah could hear every word she was saying.

"Ben, I can't tell you how long I've waited for you to come into my life. My life was not what you would call normal, but I've never really been that unhappy. My mother and Daddy had me when they were so young and had to give me away because they weren't ready for a baby. I grew up with a single mother, who just so happens to be your biological grandmother, and our mom is also my big sister…I know this is all confusing and hard to follow, but I want you to know this: family is not necessarily who you're born with, family is the group of people who love you more than they love themselves and would do anything for you. We're lucky because we have a mom and dad who do just that, but we also have Grandma Ruth, Aunt Abby, Grandpa, Matthew, Grandpa Adam, Uncle Mike, and Aunt Santana, all of whom love us just as much." She saw a picture of the family from the previous Thanksgiving and brought it over for him to see. "I want you to pay attention to this picture and get to know these people because Ben, this is what family looks like."

The monitor crackled a little as Ben coughed slightly, and Noah could hear Rachel crying quietly next to him in bed. He took her into an embrace and turned to face her putting his forehead on hers. "We did it babe. We finally got the family that we always wanted."


End file.
